


The Matchmaker, the Prince, and the Paladin

by battleaxe_bi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Lance (Voltron), Arranged Marriage, Fluff and Smut, Lance is a prince, M/M, Omega Lance (Voltron), Protective Shiro (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron) in Denial, Smut, a/b/o dynamics, apologetic shiro, i just love pairing lance, shiro has to lead voltron and get married, shiro is just human, strong willed lance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2020-08-11 03:49:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 28,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20147143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/battleaxe_bi/pseuds/battleaxe_bi
Summary: Trying to protect the galaxies from Zarkon's reign is a full time job, and the Paladins of Voltron need all the allies they can get. While landing on a neutral planet, Shiro discovers that getting them to be allies might take a bit more than some fancy moves and signing treaties. Lance is a prince, waiting for the day his mother sells him off to the bidder with the most to offer. Seeing the Black Lion's paladin sends a flutter of hope into his chest, and perhaps something more.





	1. Chapter 1

**SHIRO**

Landing on Zuirilia was _not_ the easy part. The planet was like Earth, but smaller and completely covered in rainforest foliage and creatures. It was like a commercial for the vacation Shiro couldn't afford to take. Being the Black Lion's paladin made him the leader of Voltron, the only force keeping this universe from dissolving into chaos by the hands of the Galra, an alien race led by a bloodthirsty tyrant named Zarkon. His team consisted of Pidge, also known as Katie, piloting the Green Lion, Hunk the Yellow, Keith the Red, and Allura, the Altean princess, the Blue. Shiro thanked whatever lucky star he had that they had gotten to the Altean castle with the Blue Lion after he had escaped the Garrison.

Zuirilia was beautiful for sure, but Shiro could've done without the swarm of ships. Coran, the ship's caretaker and all around informational booklet on space, informed him that the ships were from all over the galaxy and there were sighted Galra as well.

"Are they in a position to attack?" Shiro asked immediately. 

Some hasty typing on the holo-keypad brought up a magnified image of the large ship. It was just...hovering. No weapons aimed at the planet and no other cruisers with the Galran tech were anywhere nearby. 

"What are they playing at?" Keith demanded, already reaching for his bayard. 

"Easy there, space cowboy," chimed in Hunk. "Pidge got a signal from their news feed. Check it out."

Pidge, the smallest of the bunch, connected her laptop with the tech on the ship. Suddenly, the screen that once showed the position of the Galran ships was replaced with a crowd of happy, smiling people. 

"They look like humans," Shiro said, staring at awe at the people.

The only difference were that all these people were of darker skin tones, not a single pale face was to be seen. All of them had eyes that looked like they illuminated from the inside out, bright blues and greens and yellows and even some purples. They also all wore billowing clothing that rippled about them as if it were water. Shiro's observation also led him to a confusion of gender. All of them grew out their hair, again all in different colors, and it was uncertain who identified as males and females. Shiro understood well enough from his time in different galaxies and planets that it was too narrow-minded to see the people as just one or the other. 

"Oh, that's why there's so many people!" Allura exclaimed, pointing up the the corner of the screen. 

The camera followed her gesture to a high balcony. On it stood four figures. One with long obsidian hair, another with a sleek blond ponytail, the third with rather fiery red hair, and behind them all, one with shiny, chocolate brown hair. The black-haired person and blond-haired person both had on intricate golden crowns, while the red-haired person sported a silver circlet and the brown-haired person wore a similar golden circlet. 

The audio was still cutting in and out, so Hunk frowned and turned to the Human Encyclopedia. "So what's the big deal? It's royalty, we've seen plenty of that before."

"Right you are," Coran chirped. "However, this is a special occasion. The Zuirilians have a week-long celebration, once a royal is old enough to be married, where they open their gates to other royalty to accept the, uh, best bid, if you will."

"Wait, they sell off their own kids?" Hunk said incredulously before looking back at the screen.

"To the Zuirilians, it's not so much of selling the person, but of the alliances or riches or what-have-yous that they can get out of it to make their planet stronger. Why do you think they've resisted Galran invasion so far? It seems that the Galra, however, are not too proud to supply their own prince for a deal of alliance," Coran replied.

He moved the video feed to the side and pulled up the feed on the Galra ship. A little pod had just jettisoned out, only big enough for two or three passengers. Quick surveillance of the other ships showed the same. 

"We need to get in there," Allura realized. "We need to supply our own." 

All the paladins quickly looked around at each other. 

"Not it!" Both Pidge and Hunk shouted at the same time.

"I will not be courting anyone," Allura said firmly. "I also am tied to a kingdom already. One that I don't plan on using as a bargaining chip."

Eyes turned to Keith and Shiro.

"I can't do it," Keith panicked. "I'm too young to get married! What will I do with-"

Shiro placed his hand on Keith's shoulder, with a strong enough grip to placate him. "Obviously, I'm going to do it. I'm the leader of Voltron. As far as I'm concerned, we don't have to worry about a wedding, we just need to make sure it's not with the Galra."

The others nodded. 

"And I shall be your envoy! Each suitor it seems is allowed one person alongside them," Coran spoke joyfully, as if he was thrilled about ruining potential suitors for the...Prince? Princess? Shiro wasn't sure. 

Shiro nodded his head once. "It's good that you come along. I'm afraid I don't know that manners of the Zuirilians and I would hate to give them a reason to turn against Voltron."

"No problem, my boy!" Coran quipped. "I'll have that damsel in your arms by the end of the courting week!"

"Wait, we're not actually trying to get married, Coran, it's important to me that you know that-"

"Sorry lad, can't hear you from the Lions! Let's get Blackie here all fired up!"

Shiro sighed and chased after the man, his team mates sending him good luck wishes. Once inside the Lion, they flew down to where the other pods had landed. They seemed tiny compared to the Lion, but Coran reminded him that if they sent the Castle pod, it would appear that Altea was supplying a suitor. Stepping out of the Lion sent Shiro's stomach in a nervous whirl. Sure, he had survived the Galra and had some healthy relationships in his old life, but he wasn't prepared to step into the courting ring with no less than ten others. 

Standing at the front of all the contenders stood the black-haired person and the blonde-haired person. Shiro figured they must be the king and queen and it was now obvious to see the petite form of the queen and the more solid structure of the king. 

"Well now, I didn't think little old us would warrant a suitor from Voltron itself!" The queen exclaimed, snapping a fan open. 

"Bow, say it is an honor to meet them," Coran hissed as he began his bow. 

"It's an honor to meet the king and queen of Zuirilia," Shiro repeated, hand over his chest as he bowed.

"And such manners," the queen tittered. 

"Now to the matter at hand," the king interrupted. "Our beautiful flower has begun to bloom. It is time now for Zuirilia to consider another addition to the royal family. This week you shall have time to explore palace grounds, converse with one another, and have chances to woo the flower of Zuirilia."

With a sweeping gesture, the king turned to face the palace steps. Shiro followed his gaze to the very top, where the brown-haired person with the golden circlet stood. They were wearing deep blue robes with delicate golden ornaments jingling on the hems. The robe covered up to their throat and down to their feet with a train a few feet long. In their hands was a fan, spread to cover all their features but the eyes. Shiro's brain was a car engine failing to start up again. Their eyes were not a cyan blue as the father's, but the color of the ocean right over a sandbar. A more..natural blue. 

"You're staring, son," Coran quietly said and nudged Shiro. 

Finally tearing his eyes away from the royal, he returned gaze to the king and queen. It seems the "flower" had a similar effect on the others, even the Galra prince. 

"A very attractive choice, we are aware," the queen said from behind her fan. "If everyone could join us in the dining hall?"

Shiro and Coran bowed once again and when Shiro lifted his gaze, the royal had disappeared. This would be a rough week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know what you're thinking. hey b, don't you have another fic going on rn? another one with lance? with keith?   
yeah i do. im just a lil shipping mess and love pairing off lance (i mainly just ship w keith or shiro). the idea has been in my head for a stupid amount of time and i wanna just get it tf out. so. 
> 
> welcome to this hot mess.


	2. Chapter 2

**LANCE**

Lance had dreaded this day for years. He thought about running away, but never got far before his mother found him. She was less than forgiving of this behavior and did everything she could to dissuade him from doing it again. Now the day was here, and it seems the news spread much farther than he had thought. He was the first Zuirilian royal in a long time to reach marrying age.

He spent the morning being cooed over by all the palace servants and his mother, saying how lucky he will be and they were so proud of him. They gave him a blue dress, a straight line, and wrapped a gauzy material around his shoulders and arms. Both were sewn with the royal crest stamped into little golden pieces on the hems. His hair was left untouched, though that was his own wish for the day. Zuirilia's gemstone, a light mixture between green and blue, were set into gold frames and hung from his earlobes. Lance had always preferred studs. After sliding into his shoes, just silken slippers that were not meant for travelling outside the castle, he took the fan from his mother's hand to address the citizens. 

He did love his people and he loved Zuirilia. Lance just wished that it didn't have to come to this to prove he was a worthy successor to the throne. He knew what was out there, despite his mother's wishes. She had tried to prevent him from knowing about "external affairs" that "didn't involve people like us". Lance figured she meant the people who just stood there to look pretty and reassuring. He didn't want that. How was he to lead a nation of people if he had no idea of threats or of other planets and galaxies? So, he knew. Most importantly, he knew about the Galra. And that was what he was most afraid of. The Galra were a lucrative people (from all the land and resources they had stolen) and could easily make a deal for him that his parents couldn't resist. Lance promised himself that if a Galra wanted him, he would do everything in his power to avoid such an arrangement.

After the public address, the royal family retreated into the castle. The king and queen exited the main doors while Lance stood and waited. In just a moment he would see everyone that would be making deals about him for the rest of the week.

"Who knows," his fiery-headed guard Killian mused. "Maybe there will be one that's actually attractive."

Lance allowed himself to smile under the guise of the fan. "With my luck it will be the Galra."

Killan shot him a look. "Do not undersell yourself, Lance. I am willing to bet there is a single decent person out there." Seeing Lance's eyebrows furrow, he sighed. "It will be okay, Lance."

Suddenly, the grand doors opened and Lance stepped forward without Killian. He did not look down at the suitors, not right away. Once he was posed at the height of the stairs, he glanced down casually at the others. The first in line was a Galra. His stomach clenched. Although not bad looking, he was surely rotten to the core. Scanning through the rest, he was less that impressed by physical nature except the last suitor. Instead of a pod, he had brought his Lion. It was a paladin of Voltron. Lance had heard about their heroic exploits and the happiness they had brought to many. _Surely he is not here to get married to me_, Lance thought. The man was tall, with black hair and a shock of white through it. Obviously, very strong from his build. And then he looked up to Lance. 

Lance could've melted right there. Deep, dark eyes searched his own face. A scar, no doubt from their battles, ran across the bridge of his nose. His lips looked slightly parted, like he was going to say something, before his adviser bumped him and his eyes were torn away from Lance. A slight red blush on his ears made Lance almost smile. He couldn't even hear what his parents were saying, but he obediently left the space when the main doors opened again.

"So?" Killian asked on the way to Lance's room to freshen up before lunch. "What did you think?"

Lance snapped the fan shut and turned to Killian, eyes wide. "Oh, he's-he's..." Lance looked around before darting into his room and gesturing Killian to come in as well.

"He's so handsome!" Lance blurted out with a sigh.

Killian beamed. "See, I told you! There would be a decent one!"

"He's a Voltron paladin too, can you imagine? Mother must see that he has the qualities of a good leader from that," Lance babbled on.

"He's a paladin?" Killian asked, his brow furrowed. 

Lance sat upright in his vanity and turned to him. "Why, isn't that a good thing? He's saving the universe!"

Killian bit his lip before finally saying the worst to Lance: "What if he's just here to stop the Galra suitor? Or he's doing surveillance on him?"

He had forgotten, in his excitement, that there was a Galran suitor too. In fact, it was his first thought when he had seen the man that he wouldn't be here for Lance. Lance finally laughed, but it was without his bubbly humor. "Thank you, Killian. I was almost gone there for a moment."

"I hate to point it out, I just did not want you in a position-"

"It's okay," Lance interrupted. "You were just doing your job. Thank you."

Killian seemed to notice his demeanor change and bowed before exiting the room. 

Lance stood in front of the mirror and brushed out his long hair once more before alerting the maid that he was ready. Moments later, his mother came up the steps to him. 

"My sweet flower, you have done well," she cooed, kissing both his cheeks. 

"Thank you Mother, it's my pleasure to serve Zuirilia," Lance responded back, almost mechanically. 

"Do you see any you like?" She questioned as she too, flicked her fan back open over her face. She wound an arm around his and began leading down the stairs.

Lance was almost taken aback by the question. "I-well, I rather like the paladin," he replied haltingly. 

"Mmm," she hummed with approval. "Paladin Shirogane is a very strong man. Good leadership skills. He could be a good match. Are you sure he is the one you prefer as of now?"

"Yes," Lance answered immediately. 

"Very well, I will keep him in consideration. While I do that, do not be afraid to get to know Prince Lotor. He too could be a good match for Zuirilia," his mother added. 

"As you wish, Mother," Lance said. He tried to keep a bitter taste from rising in his throat at the thought of marrying Prince Lotor.

Entering the dining hall, he made sure his fan was still kept over his face. Perhaps if he did, they wouldn't talk to him as much. 

The paladin was the first to notice his presence. Both he and his adviser stood and bowed, shortly followed by the rest.

"Thank you all so much for joining us on this momentous occasion," his mother spoke to the suitors. "I am looking forward to meeting with each of you and finding the best match for Zuirilia."

As Lance was the object of the celebration, he sat at the head of the table. On each side of him, not including his mother and father, sat five possible suitors. Ten in total. By the end of tomorrow, he doubted they would have more than half left. On his father's side sat Prince Lotor and on his mother's sat Paladin Shirogane. Both seemed to be glaring at each other before realizing something. 

"Thank you for welcoming us to your lovely planet and your home. It's a pleasure to be a part of such an amazing ceremony," Paladin Shirogane spoke first. 

"Such a flattering young man! Tell us, Paladin, what accomplishments set you aside from the others?" Lance's mother replied first. It was clear which parent favored which suitor. 

"As a paladin of Voltron and a pilot of the Black Lion, I have been in a position of leadership. One that others would say came naturally. As a team, we have worked against the Galra in attempts to restore previous culture to the people, we have protected planets that were under fire from such threats. From then on, we have recruited many into our Coalition in attempts to keep a monopoly of power at bay," Shiro answered. It sounded a bit practiced, but it may be the first time he's gone through courting rituals.

"And what about you Prince Lotor," his father interjected before his mother could continue. "What have you accomplished?"

Prince Lotor's smile sent chills down Lance's spine. "The Galra Empire has grown over the past 10,000 years. We have conquered many planets, giving us such power as quintessence. We still are doing research as to all it's capabilities, though it is proving to be the power source for magic beyond _human _comprehension. As a prince, I have access to armies immediately, and they do as I say. Such military power has become a huge advancement within our empire."

An awkward silence filled the room as the two suitors engaged in another staring contest. Luckily, he was saved by the chef. As the food was delivered, he noticed he had been given leafy greens while the others were given meat and fruit. His mother always made it clear that image was one of the few gifts he had, and even now, she was holding true to that. 

The other suitors introduced themselves as well, but Lance didn't bother to learn names. He knew they were practically obsolete now. Instead, he surveyed the chosen two. Paladin Shirogane definitely had more muscle than Prince Lotor, but that wasn't to say Prince Lotor had nothing. He was tall, even sitting down, and his long, white hair mimicked the Zuirilian style. The paladin's hair was shorter, with that one white forelock grown out a bit. The paladin also had a prosthesis. Along his arm, Lance could see the machinery and purple glow through the joints. 

After lunch, he saw his mother dismiss four candidates. He smiled behind his fan. First impressions really are everything to her. 

"Let's take a walk through the garden, shall we?" His mother chirped, joining the rest of them. 

"That sounds lovely," Prince Lotor said, with another one of his smiles. 

Lance took a deep breath. _Only four left to get rid of. Do not worry before then, _his mother's voice spoke in his mind. Lance nodded to himself. She used telepathy often when she wished to have private conversations with him while others were around, but it did not make itself any more normal to him. 

Stepping into the royal greenhouse and garden was one of Lance's two favorite places. It was always full of life and rich in color. Surrounded by six men, he walked quietly while his father gave information on the passing plants. The advisers had been left at the castle and it was obvious that the paladin was not as comfortable without his. Lance felt a pang of sympathy. As they came to the carnivorous plants, he managed to get away from the cluster and closer to him. Lance still didn't speak, didn't trust himself to, either. 

"I'm sorry if I made things uncomfortable at lunch," the paladin's voice rumbled in at a whisper. 

Lance's eyes widened as he took in the rich tones. He glanced around, noticing the others were enraptured by the giant Carnem Manducans before responding. "Trust me, paladin, it was not you who made me uncomfortable." 

Both he and Paladin Shirogane kept looking forward and with Lance's fan, it would seem they were just walking. Out of Lance's peripheral, he saw the paladin's lips twitch. "Feel free to call me Shiro," he said. "Paladin seems so formal, unless you feel more comfortable that way?"

Lance made sure to hide his smile. "Shiro sounds nice. You can call me-"

Before he could finish, a few gasps and shouts brought his gaze back to those at the giant plant. One of the suitors was gone and it looked like the flower was starting to digest something. 

Shiro looked like he was about to start running but Lance stopped him. "Do not rescue him."

Shiro looked incredulous. "Just let him die? An innocent person?"

Lance lowered his head. "My mother is not as sweet as she seems. Even the most beautiful animals can be venomous. She will see this as a sign of weakness on his part. That he does not deserve to be saved, let alone given to me."

"But that's not true. One mistake doesn't mean someone isn't strong," Shiro replied.

Lance sighed. "Be that as it may, Shiro, you are in Zuirilia now. We may be a tad more strict than you thought." He thought for a moment before adding quickly, "Do not give her a reason to suspect you of falsehoods. I would prefer if you left alive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zuirilia's gemstone was inspired by amazonite!  
Carnem Menducans (means flesh eating in Latin) ((i used google translate so if it doesn't actually pls let me know so i can fix!!)) is basically a ten foot tall version of a pitcher plant!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, this one gets a lil bad and i will put a tw up here for y'all for intended r*pe and unwanted groping

**LANCE**

Shiro's eyes widened and the situation looked genuinely troubling to him. Lance wondered if he had ever been to Zuirilia or even read up on the current politics, or past, or of their belief system. If he was just going off of his adviser, Lance was more worried for him than any of the other suitors. Then again, Shiro had been the only one who Lance was even drawn to. He was curious to know that Shiro would think of tomorrow. 

As the usual traditions stand, the first day of courting was spent through an initial meeting, a meal, and various activities before dinner. Dinner was the only meal, aside from the meal on the first day, that Lance would be attending until he was paired off. The second day, the suitors would travel with the royal family up to the matchmaker's hut. It was located on the tallest mountain range in Zuirilia, claiming something like, "true love is worth the work". Once there, each suitor would spend time alone with the prince in the hut, along with the matchmaker. They would determine, through whatever means, whether or not the coupling would yield anything worthwhile. Neither Lance's mother or father explained to him what happens in the hut. All suitors would be sworn to secrecy and the only people who would know the results would be Lance and his parents. Again, no one had ever broke the oath of secrecy. At least, no one that was still alive.

The following days would depend on the amount of suitors. Many would be dismissed after the meeting with the matchmaker and eventually, it is whittled down to just one through whatever trials and meetings. While Lance's head was more wrapped up in the specifics of everything that could go wrong, he missed Killian's hand on his shoulder.

"It is time to attend to your studies," the guard spoke. 

Once again, ever the gentleman, Shiro swooped down into a bow. "My apologies for keeping you, Your Highness."

Lance fluttered his fan before pausing. "I would gladly have stolen a few more moments if I could, Paladin Shirogane."

Killian clicked his tongue, reminded both of them that he was witnessing this very against-the-rules interaction. Lance felt blood prickle at his cheeks and quick glance to Shiro rewarded him with the same expression. Without further ado, Lance was spun away from Shiro and marched back up to the palace. The blush didn't go away all the way to the back of the castle, where the library stood. Lance sat down hard on a desk and examined the pulled scrolls with muted interest. 

"You know you aren't allowed to speak to them without a chaperone present," Killian said gruffly, once he was sure they were alone. 

"You are a chaperone, are you not?" Lance replied cheekily.

Killian's jaw clenched, as he did when he was frustrated. "Your Highness, you know the rules. You cannot show preference, especially not this early! You shouldn't even be speaking to the suitors yet!"

Lance huffed. "So I am just to ignore him? You and I both know he is Mother's chosen, and the best choice for Zuirilia!"

"He may be your mother's chosen, but that doesn't mean he is the best choice!"

Lance's blood, once hot, suddenly ran cold. "You'd prefer me with the Galra prince."

It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact. Lance's own voice came out dangerously calm, more calm than he felt inside. 

Killian's jaw seemed glued to his upper teeth. "You and I know they are powerful. We would not have to worry about a war if we were tied by marriage."

"With all due respect, no smart king would willingly give up his people to tyrants and those with insatiable blood lust. I would rather die for Zuirilia than give him any of our resources or military support," Lance spat out. 

"You are letting your feelings get in the way of the facts," Killian responded coldly. "I will watch the entrance for you while you study."

Lance felt ill. He considered Killian one of his closest friends and yet he wanted Lance to sell away his crown to the Galra. It wasn't that the Galra prince wasn't attractive. Lance might be able to physically love Prince Lotor. It was what was behind the facade. The years of enslavement and war. The destruction of the Altean people. Their unstoppable search for this force known as quintessence, no matter what the cost. That kind of corruption may not show on the outside, but it runs deep in the blood of those like Prince Lotor. 

But Shiro. The paladin of the Black Lion. Little was actually known about the man, except that he had once been taken in by the Galra, where he lost his arm and escaped to Earth, a planet over a million light years away. He seemed so kind to Lance. Genuine, even. He piloted Voltron, who stood up against people like the Galra and saw to it that every person was free to live their own life. Shiro led the team that spread peace.

To Lance, the answer was simple. As much as he hated the idea of being married off to someone he barely knew, he would much rather choose Shiro than Lotor. Besides, Shiro didn't just speak to his parents, he spoke to _Lance_. It would be foolish to think he had much of a choice in the matter, but he liked imagining that Shiro cared about more than just his parents' approval. 

He shook his head of the worries beyond the room and focused on the scrolls ahead of him. Most of it was just historical nonsense, but occasionally he would stop onto something truly interesting. Something at least his parents haven't already lectured him on. He hummed absentmindedly, sometimes walking around the area. The windows reached high and low, illuminating the library in golden rays. 

_Tip. Tip. Tip. _Lance perked up, setting a scroll down and hurrying to the nearby window. Unfortunately, he was not greeted by the black and white hair of the paladin, but the Thiopra suitor. Lance frowned, but unlatched the window. He suddenly felt bare without his fan to shield his expressions. 

"Thank you for allowing me in," the Thiopran said, hastily crawling in the window. 

"Oh, I-Well, I was not truly inviting you in, I simply unlatched the window to see what you were-"

The suitor laughed. "You think I did not hear the paladin speaking with you? If he gets time with you, it's only fair if the rest of us do too."

Lance gulped. The Thioprans were known for their long, receptive ears. He should've known that he would hear his conversation with Shiro. "Really, it was nothing more than a passing conversation, I'm sure we'll all get chances to get to know each other-"

"I want to get to know you so much, my prince. You have such beautiful hair and smooth skin." At this point, he had backed Lance up against one of the table covered in scrolls. "I wonder what it would be like to-to touch all of that skin.."

Lance swatted his hand away. "Really, sir! This-this is highly unbecoming! Please, leave now before I call my guard!"

The Thiopran smiled, sharp teeth exposed. "I ought to make you my mate right here. Leave it up to fate. This was meant to be, my prince."

Before Lance could scream, the suitor bunched up his own jacket and fashioned it into a bit that he shoved in Lance's mouth. Lance squirmed, trying to make some noise to alert Killian. The man deftly moved him over to his stomach. He felt the Thiopran's bare hand slide up his thigh and felt bile rising into his throat. Struggling didn't seem to do anything. The Thiopran was at least twice his size in width and height. 

Suddenly, the heavy weight that was boxing in Lance's body was thrown away from him. In his moment of panic, he assumed it was Killian until he ripped the clothes out of his mouth and saw...

_Lotor. _Standing in front of Lance with a fierce look in his eye, Prince Lotor poised his sword at the other suitor's chest. 

"Explain yourself!" The other prince demanded, his sweet tone discarded for one riddled with rage. 

"Oh, please! You have favor of the king, the rest of us need to get some private time with the prince," the Thiopran suitor said calmly, waving away at the sword. 

Lotor did not remove the sword from it's position. "So you choose to terrify the one you wish to court? What kind of disgusting creature are you? He is to be treated with respect. Apologize for your transgressions now."

"Why should I, he's just another bargaining chip for his parents-"

Lotor dug the sword into the Thiopran's clothes. A small trail of blood appeared. "I will request you apologize before I lose my temper."

"I-I apologize--"

"On your knees, scum," Prince Lotor spat. 

The suitor lowered himself to the ground. "I apologize, your Highness. It was disgraceful to act that way. Please, forgive me."

By now, Killian had come into the room and was evaluating the scene. Lance composing himself behind Prince Lotor, who looked ready to kill the other suitor groveling before him.

"Prince Lotor, stand down," Killian called. 

Lotor did not move his sword. "Only if you remove him this instant. He should not be welcomed to Zuirilia again."

"Thank you for your input, your Highness," Killian responded, "but you do not govern Zuirilia. Yet. In the meantime, we will take him to see the king and queen. They shall decide his fate."

Lance saw Lotor's eyes flash with annoyance before he lifted his sword and placed it in his sheath. Several of the guard grabbed the Thiopran under his arms and forced him to leave the room. Once he had disappeared from Lance's line of sight, Lance hurried to look presentable to the prince still in the room with him.

"Thank you for-"

"Are you okay?" Lotor's voice cut Lance off. It seemed...concerned, almost. 

Lance took another survey of himself before sighing with relief. "I'm fine. A little shaken up, but you arrived just in time. Thank you, for everything. Though the begging for forgiveness I could have done without."

Prince Lotor turned to face him. Lance had to remind himself of the bloody history associated with the man to keep him from running into his arms. _It's just a rush, _Lance told himself. _Not true feelings. _

"You deserve to be treated with the utmost respect, your Highness," Lotor finally spoke. "You are, to many, someone quite precious. To expect anything less than the best would be under-appreciating your worth." 

Lance forced himself to meet the other's eyes. "And what am I worth to you, Prince Lotor? Gold, silver, crystals, armies. What do you intend to buy me with?"

Lotor brought his hand to Lance's face, though with a gentle touch. "You are worth much more than I could ever promise. I can only hope to win your affection by giving you the adoration and consideration you deserve."


	4. Chapter 4

Lance swallowed hard. He had expected something more concrete from the Galran. "Well, good luck to you."

"Can you walk on your own?" Lotor asked, noticing Lance's slight tremor.

Grabbing his fan and discarded scarf from the table, he snapped it open again to cover his face. "Thank you for your concern, but I should manage well."

Lotor didn't seem satisfied with his answer. Wrapping his arm around Lance's, he walked stoically ahead. Lance hurried to catch up with the rest of his body being pulled along.

"Please, I-" Lance stopped himself short. Prince Lotor had brought him back to the throne room. All the other suitors were lined up and looking...Right. At. Lotor. And. Lance. Lance was mortified and another hot blush rose to his cheeks. Shiro's eyes seemed burned into the connection between the two of them.

Finally, Lotor unwound his arm from Lance's and went to join the others. By now, his mother and father had returned from whatever punishment they gave that Thiopran. They sat on the thrones, expressions unreadable. Lance quickly moved to stand by his mother with eyes downcast.

"First," his father's voice rang out, "we would like to acknowledge the bravery and quick action shown by Prince Lotor of the Galra Empire today. While one of our welcomed suitors broke into the prince's private study, Prince Lotor managed to locate the assailant and neutralize the threat. He has maintained the integrity of our beloved son and acted with the traits of a great king."

There was a smattering of applause while Lotor swept into a deep bow to Lance and his parents.

"Second," his mother's voice started, "we will not tolerate any more of this behavior from any of you. If there is word of a similar situation, you will all face criminal charges in Zuirilia under the penalty of death or torture. If any of you are courting our son for such feral purposes, we suggest for your own safety that you depart from Zuirilia now. Are we understood?"

The weight of her words settled on the room. Lance was one of the few that realized it would be better to die than suffer the torture under his mother's supervision. A chorus of "Understood, your Majesty" echoed around the room before she dismissed them all.

"You have to be more careful," his mother immediately scolded him.

"I'm sorry, Mother, I thought-"

"I don't care what you were thinking!" His mother turned on him, furious. Flicking her hand, a magical bond fastened over Lance's mouth. He knew better than to struggle. "Were you even thinking about us? What this could've done to our reputation? You are not even engaged yet, but you could have lost your gift to a stranger! You would have been worthless to other suitors! Worthless to Zuirilia!"

Lance refused to cry in front of her. It wasn't anything he hasn't heard before. 

"Enough," his father finally spoke, laying a hand on her shoulder. 

Without a second glace, she released the bond from his mouth and turned away from him. Lance quickly shuffled out of the room. Walking up the stone steps to his chamber, he felt cold. Not the cold that comes from the temperature of Zuirilia, but the cold that comes from the deepest parts of his chest. It seeped out and spread to his forehead to his toes. Opening his door, he threw himself unceremoniously on the bed. He curled up on his side, trying to keep from sobbing too hard. No matter what he did, it was never enough. Anything that went wrong, it was his fault. He couldn't even be assaulted without his own mother thinking he would be worthless. 

She was right about his gift, though. Some Zuirilians, mostly those of royal or noble blood, were vessels of great magic. Sometimes it is realized early, as with his mother. She had the gift of body manipulation before her marriage. During his father's courting, people thought she had manipulated the queen and king into giving her to their son. After they both bonded, his gift was adopted into her system and shared. Now, she not only could control her body and others, but she had the gift of telepathy. Queen Mavis is one of the most feared queens in all of Zuirilia's history. And his mother. 

Lance collected himself. He would not spend the night crying, his eyes would be too puffy in the morning (a sin by his mother) and he would have a headache for sure. He washed his face in the bathroom basin and took a quick bath before going back out into his main room. Wrapped in a robe, he busied himself with the various beauty creams he was to apply and then slunk into bed. _Maybe this time the dreams would be better, _Lance thought with a trace of exhaustion.The second his head hit the pillow, he was already gone.

_Lance's vision swam for a moment before focusing. _

_ Damn it._

_ It was the same dream. Surrounded by fire, Lance was stuck up in his room. Crawling towards the door, he managed to unlatch it. He threw himself down the stairs with a panic. The screams of his people, of his parents, everyone he loved, filled the air. He tried screaming for help too, but no sound came. Realizing he was on his own, he began running through the castle to get to the main doors. No matter how hard he ran, the main hall just kept stretching forward. The air was getting thicker with smoke and various creatures were emerging from the darkness._

_ This part was new. The creatures morphed into Galra. Jeering at Lance, they swiped at him left and right with their weapons. What was going on? _

_ "Where is he?" A voice roared from the other end of the hall. The door opened._

_ By now, Lance was crawling on his hands to the only source of light. "Help...me.." _

_ There were shouts from the Galra around him, but no longer ones of triumph. Groans of pain and startled noises came from his left and right. Taking his last bit of energy, he lifted his head to see his savior. _

_ Big arms scooped him up and Lance failed to get a good look as one of the man's hands was buried in his hair, keeping him close. So he couldn't breathe the air, he realized. _

_ A low murmuring finally reached his ears. "Just stay with me a little longer, Lance. Please. Stay with me. I promise I won't ever leave you again. I'll never leave you. Stay with me."_

_ Finally, white light encased the both of them. As it faded from Lance's eyes, he jolted up from a soft warm bed. The reason it was so warm was the other body. Lance curiously peered over, figuring now he would be able to see the one who freed him. _

_ Black hair with a white sliver. A sharp jawline. Eyelids covering what Lance knew to be mysterious grey eyes. _

_ "Shiro," Lance whispered. _

_ Said man woke slowly, eyes taking in the vision of Lance perched above him. "My prince," Shiro whispered back. _

_ "What happened? Where are we?" Lance asked, looking around the room. _

_ "We survived. We," Shiro looked disturbed, "we couldn't save everyone, Lance. But I had to make sure I had you."_

_ Lance felt a frown forming. "Why me? What makes me special?" _

_ Shiro slipped a hand back through his hair. Lance almost keened from the gentle touch. "Because you're mine, Lance. From the moment I saw you, I knew I had to have you. You are everything to me. I don't think I could live without you." _

_ Lance did not seem to think before he spoke. "You can say it, you know. No point in avoiding it."_

_ Shiro positively beamed. His hand drifted from Lance's locks to the back of his neck. Guiding it close to his face, he breathed against Lance's face. "Lance, I love you."_

_ Lance sighed before leaning in further, his lips just touching Shiro's--_

"Your Highness!" A voice shook Lance from his very delightful dream. 

He woke with a start. Peering around the room, Killian was stood over him, a picture of concern.

"Your Highness, you were harder to wake today," he said, anxiety coating his words. 

Lance sighed and fell back into the bed. "It was just a good dream. Can't I go back to it?" 

"I'm glad to hear there has been a change from the usual, but no, you cannot. Today is the day of the matchmaker's test, remember?" Killian reminded him gently. 

Dream not forgotten, but carefully stored, Lance shot back up from the bed. Rushing over to his beauty table, he began prepping for the day with a new fervor.

"What is the rush, your Highness? Are you that pleased to get married?" Killian joked.

Lance laughed. A real laugh. "I do not know, Killian. But I think I'm getting used to the idea."


	5. Chapter 5

**SHIRO**

The trip up the mountain range was grueling. Without the overhead foliage from the trees, Zuirilia's large sun bore down heavily on the lot of them. Shiro noticed while waiting for the prince that there were only four of the suitors left, including him and Lotor. Speaking of Lotor, Shiro noticed he was talking to the king while moving up the mountain. Quietly, just out of his earshot though. If anything shows his true intentions, that's it, Shiro thought with a twinge of annoyance. Instead of brown-nosing the king and queen, Shiro opted to stand near the prince. His fan was ever present and so was his guard. Despite the rough walk, the prince would not allow anyone to carry him and did not want a palanquin brought up just for him to lounge in.

Luckily, the path they took was well worn in from several generations of royalty making the same trip. Lance hardly had to even look down, though Shiro noticed he expertly moved from the grasp of a few smaller carnivorous plants. It seemed everything in the forest had a mind of it's own to Shiro, but knew better than to attack this particular party.

Once at the top, Shiro decided the walk was well worth it. Overlooking the whole span of Zuirilia was magical. It almost made Shiro feel like he was back on Earth, going through the Amazon. At least, an Amazon with crystal cropping up from the ground and autonomous plants. Rushing water alerted him to a large waterfall a little ways away, depositing the bluest, clearest water he had ever seen.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Shiro was brought back to the moment with the voice of his trusty "adviser". Coran and all the others were encouraged to come as well, though they wouldn't be allowed in the hut with the suitor being tested.

Shiro's eyes panned over to the prince. Today he was wearing an aqua blue set of robes that matched his eyes, which were positively glowing. Shiro assumed from excitement. "Yeah, beautiful."

"Thank you everyone, for joining us on this beautiful day," the queen called. Everyone shifted attention back to the royal family. "Today, each of the suitors will accompany the prince into our matchmaker's hut. But first, a spoken contract. Repeat after me. 'I will do whatever the matchmaker asks of me.'"

Shiro and the others chanted it back.

"'I will not share what happens in the hut with anyone. I will only share the experience with the prince and the matchmaker.'"

After the second round of the contract, Shiro started feeling nervous. What exactly went on in that tiny hut?

"And we are all set. Thank you again. First in the hut is Tu'Vir from Vehines," the queen announced. A tall, burly alien with wide set eyes and an overbite moved forward with the prince into the hut.

Shiro wasn't sure how long it had been when the got out. He'd lose his place counting or he would switch from seconds to ticks. Before he knew it, the prince had re-emerged, looking as unbiased as before. Tu'Vir sat down on a nearby boulder. Shiro couldn't figure out if he was troubled or exhausted. Another suitor was called in, Araimar from Etis. Surveying the prince again after Araimar came out yielded the same results. Unbiased or uninterested.

Next was Lotor. Shiro stiffened. Of course he was going to be last. He tried meditating the second they both disappeared into the hut. They were all sworn to secrecy and after what the prince said about his mother, Shiro didn't want to try to bend the rules to find out what had happened with the others. He just wanted to be in there with the prince. To protect him, obviously. That's all I'm here to do, Shiro said to himself.

Lotor walked out first. A cool, smug, and cocky expression written all over his face. Maybe they weren't allowed to share verbally but Lotor certainly was saying something good had happened in there. The prince emerged shortly after with wide eyes, like a deer in the headlights. Whatever result they had, he was clearly not thrilled.

It was finally Shiro's turn. A nice pat on the back from Coran and he joined the prince at the door, holding it open for him.

"Thank you," whispered the prince.

Shiro already felt a blush creeping up. _His voice is just pleasant is all_, he reasoned.

The hut looked about the same inside as it did on the outside. Stuck together with mud and twigs, with a hole in the ceiling for smoke to escape. In the center of the room laid a low, flat table. It reminded him of something his grandma had, a chabudai. He offered his hand to the prince, helping him sink to the cushion on the floor for the fourth time that day. Before Shiro himself sat, a short, thin, old woman came through the doorway on the other side of the room. Shiro was shocked. This poor woman looked a day from meeting the reaper, but she still supported a tea tray just fine.

Shiro's better instincts took over. "I don't mean to offend you, but could I help with the tray?"

The woman looked surprised but then smiled, and nodded. "Careful not to spill the tea. It's hot."

Shiro smiled and nodded back to her, taking the tray gently from her. Moving slowly to the table, he shifted the tray onto it carefully. Apparently, without the tea set holding her down, the old woman moved quick. By the time Shiro sat back down, she was pouring a cup of tea for herself.

"I suppose you want to know why he's here," she spoke after a long sip of tea.

Shiro saw the prince sit up straighter. "Yes, madam," he murmured.

Shiro set down his own tea cup against the wooden table. "What I'm here for? Well, I'm-I'm here for you."

"Try that again, soldier," the matchmaker said gruffly. The prince was looking at him now, those glowing eyes peering with a new intensity.

He found himself unable to stop himself. "I was originally sent here to stop a wedding between the Zuirilian prince and the Galra. We needed an alliance and we knew it wouldn't happen unless Lotor was out of the arrangement."

"And that's it?" The prince said, taking another sip. Shiro wondered if there had been a form of truth serum in the tea.

"I-I'm unsure. Aren't you supposed to be asking us more questions?" Shiro asked the matchmaker, now feeling heartily confused.

The woman sat back on her heels and laughed. "Me? I'm just a glorified chaperone for this one, Takashi Shirogane. I just observe."

"Takashi," the prince whispered on his right. Chills ran up his spine. "I get to know your name now."

With another look at the matchmaker, he turned to the prince. "And I never caught yours."

"Lance," the prince said quietly. "They wanted to name me something long and complicated, but," he cracked a little smile, "I was always reaching for my father's lance when he came to visit. The name stuck."

Shiro felt oddly touched by Lance sharing such a sentimental memory. "Lance suits you."

"Back to the question," Lance said, shaking his head. "Are you only here to keep Lotor from marrying me?"

A small moment of panic fled through Shiro's mind. "I-I don't know."

The old woman sighed. "Do you want me to help you, son?"

"Help me?" Shiro asked, but before long she was off into a cupboard. She pulled out herbs and flowers, stamping them together in a mortar bowl.

Returning to the table, she dusted the mystery substance into Shiro's tea. "Drink," she commanded.

As if the oath he took acted on itself, he swigged the whole thing back. His vision blurred. Did she just poison me? What if what she used isn't meant for humans? Then he fell through the floor.

_ No, he didn't really fall through, he realized. But he was no longer in the hut. He was back in the main hall of the palace, surrounded by other Zuirilians and...Galra? He felt his hand begin to heat up, but everyone ignored him. In fact, both the Galra and the Zuirilian people seemed absolutely jubilant. Shiro stood behind a pillar, watching the crowd for any sign of trouble._

_ But none came. A sweet instrument began to play, like a harp. From the back of the hall, Lotor appeared in a set of deep purple robes, designed in the Zurilian style and with his sword sheathed on his side. The audience ooh'ed for a moment before turning their attention to the back. Shiro followed their gaze._

_ Lance was stood with his mother and father on either side of him. A sleeveless corset top, with what looked to Shiro like lace, showed off his beautiful skin. The dress's skirt was form-fitting, hugging every curve on Lance's body. He wore his golden circlet and the jewelry common to Zuirilian royalty. Shiro felt something in his heart twinge. Lance looked giddy._

_ Shiro sat from the back and watched as Lance met Lotor by the front, with his father officiating what was their wedding. The vows were short and succinct. Then, as he watched with horror, Lotor lifted Lance's veil, took his chin in his hand, and kissed him. Rather obscenely too, but it looked like Lance wasn't complaining. In fact, he wrapped his arms around the tall Galra. Once they broke apart, Lotor shot a look directly at Shiro. It was confident. It was smug._

_ Lotor mouthed the words, "He's mine."_

Shiro was pulled out of the vision with a low growl that he didn't think humans could make.

Lance was looking over at him, concerned. "Are you well? You said something about," Lance blushed before he could finish the sentence.

Shiro looked at the matchmaker. "What was that?"

She looked back at him, mimicking the smug look he had seen on Lotor's face moments before. "Just a little help. You mentioned something along the lines of 'mine'?"

Shiro was mortified. Had he actually claimed Lance was his while he was out? He looked at the matchmaker again, but she had left the room.

"In the vision, were you calling me yours?" Lance's voice shook.

"I, well, I-I think I'm at a loss for words for the first time in a long time," Shiro replied, his voice shaking too.

"I know it is not proper of a prince to act this way, but please!" Lance said, shifting over to face Shiro and placing his hands by Shiro's hips. Their noses were nearly touching. Shiro was effectively caged. "Tell me what you saw! This involves me, too!"

Those luminous eyes refused to leave his own grey ones. "I saw you getting married to Lotor. You were...beautiful." Shiro paused before more words came tumbling out. "But then he kissed you, not even politely, it looked like all tongue and teeth but you didn't pull away! Lotor said that you were his and it just didn't.. feel right..."

Lance looked shocked for a moment. Then, he looked over to the doorway. It seemed the matchmaker had busied herself in her private room. Turning his eyes back to Shiro's, he felt a flutter in his stomach. "Really, you should move, I don't want to get in trouble with-"

"Did you want to kiss me?" Lance asked in a hushed voice.

Again, Shiro was at the mercy of the smaller man still so close to him. "Yes."

"Do you still want to?"

Shiro inhaled sharply and noticed a waft of cinnamon in the air. It seemed to come from Lance. "Yes."

Lance moved back so he was sitting on his knees. Shiro watched him with bated breath. A soft hand came to rest on his cheek, slowly coaxing him forward. Before he knew it, his eyes were closed and he was leaning to meet Lance's lips with his own. A small click of teeth, and then they finally connected. Shiro thought he was weak once he kissed Lance, but when Lance opened his mouth for him, he was absolutely gone. He tasted sweet, yet nothing like the tea they were drinking. Shiro's hands had just reached Lance's hips when they heard a voice clearing in front of them.

Shiro was the first to remove himself, wiping a hand across his lips. Lance sat back, eyes hooded but with an expression of embarrassment on his face.

"I'm glad to chaperone, though I will not have anyone over-indulging themselves. I will see to it that your results are given to your parents, Prince Lance. Of course, none of the events that transpired here will be told, just my judgement of the possible relationship. Thank you both for coming. You are dismissed," the matchmaker said. With a wave of her hand the tea set vanished. Shiro felt slightly betrayed that she could've moved it in the first place using magic, but moved out of the hut without another word.

Trying not to look like he had just stuck his tongue into the throat of the prince of Zuirilia, Shiro walked out stoically to join Coran. Carriages had been called up to take them down to the castle. Each of them boarded in the reverse order of the matchmaking, meaning Shiro was right behind Lance's carriage.

"So, I bet you can't tell me anything, can you?" Coran asked with a sigh of defeat in his voice.

A tightness formed around Shiro's voice when he tried to recount the events (minus the making out). He finally managed, "I may not be able to support any other marriage anymore."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the beginning of a nsfw journey has begun ;-)  
also pov changes?? there's just so much to tell

**LANCE**

The ride back wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought. At least, in terms of riding with his parents. However, his skin felt hot to the touch. That could just be from blushing surely, he thought to himself, trying to keep it hidden from his mother. _Or maybe I've caught something from being out in the heat all day_.. Just thinking the word 'heat', his body flushed more and he felt an uncomfortable throbbing coming from his, well, unmentionables. He flapped his fan in a vain attempt to calm down. Once at the castle, he nearly collapsed getting out of the carriage. Killian quickly caught him, thank goodness, though his parents seemed shocked.

"It's his first heat," his mother whispered in a panic.

"He can't possibly be at dinner tonight in his state," his father whispered back. "The other suitors could pick up on it."

Lance wanted to say,_ I'm right here!_, but words seemed hard to form in his mouth.

"You know what this means, don't you?" His mother said tersely, as they walked quickly with him up to his chambers. Someone had stayed back to announce to the suitors that dinner would be with just the king and queen tonight.

His father snorted. "You don't believe in that old wives' tale, do you?"

"If it is true though," his mother pushed, "our son has met his match. Nonetheless, it happened after he sat in with the paladin."

Lance's head swirled with thoughts and he began to feel wet between his legs.

"We'll get there when the time comes," his father replied firmly. "In the meantime, he'll just have to stick it out. You still have the items?" He asked to the nearest handmaiden. She nodded and disappeared.

His mother looked worried. "We haven't needed suppressants in so long. It could take a few days to make them. By that time, he could be married off."

Again, Lance tried to ask them what was going on. He knew that some Zuirilians can get heats and some can go into ruts. Since his mother was neither, he figured he wouldn't be either. He didn't even bother learning about them. But here he was, squirming on his bed, looking for a form of relief he did not know. Both his parents gave one look at him and the king left. Killian gave him a pained look before following him.

His mother knelt beside the bed. "Dearest, you're about to go through something very hard. We're giving you all we can for you to get through it, but we can't have you with the suitors until it has passed. I am very proud of you right now, but promise me you'll stay here. We'll bring up everything you need until it's over. Is that okay?"

Lance barely mumbled out a "I promise" before his mother disappeared from the room and the handmaiden returned with a wooden box.

"Everything you should need for now is in the box, your Highness," she murmured before she too, disappeared.

Lance, eager to fix himself, jerked the lid open and stared inside the box. Instead of pills or compresses, he found...Oh, no. No, no, no. All this because of one kiss with Shiro? The thought of Shiro brought the throbbing back with an almost painful force. It was pure embarrassment he felt, looking down at a box filled with miscellaneous long objects. He felt empty. 

He grabbed the first one he touched and hobbled to the bed. Stripping out of the confining clothes, he gasped at the cold air meeting his body. It wasn't enough to cool him off, though. In a desperate attempt at relief, he strayed his fingers down to the source of his growing discomfort. Contact with his tight hole made him wince and sigh, but with little to no resistance two fingers slipped in. He gasped. He had never a reason for doing this before, but his heat-muddled mind questioned why he never tried. 

Realizing his fingers soon weren't enough, he grasped the long, glass-like object and slid the first two inches in. Before he knew or processed the feelings, he was rocking back onto it, groaning and sighing with pleasure. _I wonder if Shiro feels like this, _he thought. Suddenly, an explosive wave of pleasure over took him. He soiled his sheets, rutting into them while pushing the dildo deeper inside. Collapsing on the bed, he gasped for breath. 

All he could hear in his mind was chants of _Shiro, Shiro, Shiro. _

* * *

**SHIRO**

Prince Lance looked positively ill when he had stumbled out of the carriage this afternoon. Shiro wondered if it had anything to do with what had happened in the matchmaker's hut earlier. A guard announced that the king and queen would be the sole royalty at the dinner that night. But, honestly? Shiro wasn't listening. Because the second he saw Lance glance back at him, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. It felt like every nerve in his body had been electrified. 

"Oh, dear," said Coran from beside him. "Poor lad."

Not breaking his eyes away from the prince until he disappeared into the castle, Shiro asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"I know enough about Zuirilia to know that he's in for a rough time. I bet his parents never even thought they'd have an omega in the royal family. Not with a beta and an alpha as parents," Coran murmured.

"What do you mean? Omega? Beta? Alpha? Is that a code or something?" Shiro inquired, now being led into their own room.

Once the doors had been shut, Coran turned to him. "It's more of what you humans call gender. You can be born a alpha, beta, or omega. In Zuirilian society, the most common are betas and alphas. Omegas are different, born with a womb no matter what physical gender characteristics they may display. They can go into heat-"

"Wait," Shiro held up a hand. "Are you about to tell me that Lance is an omega?"

Coran nodded sadly. "Afraid so. While female alphas can get pregnant, it is unlikely. Betas are more like humans, but they can't get an omega pregnant. Omegas, no matter if they are female or male, can get pregnant. There's a lot that goes into this, actually. Are you sure you don't want to sit down?"

"Why didn't you tell me any of this until now?!" Shiro exclaimed, hanging his head in his hands.

"I thought the prince would be like his mother, a beta. Most have displayed their placement by his age. It's extremely rare for his hormones to change, so it's likely they were lying dormant. They probably always would be, unless.." Coran trailed off.

"Unless what?"

Coran blushed. "Well, there's an old myth that claims only when an omega meets their true mate do they display the signs. But a lot of people don't believe it anymore. It's hard to pinpoint when exactly you could meet your true mate, so scientifically, there's no proof."

Shiro stilled. "Coran...I can't tell you what happened in that hut, but I think this is my fault."

Coran's eyes grew large. "If the king and queen knew that you were his true mate, surely they would have you married, no?"

"But if they don't believe that, things could just go as they always have, and Lance could be married off to Lotor by the end of the week!" Shiro protested. 

"Calm down, lad. I'm sure it won't happen that way. Just keep your head down, maybe impress the king or queen a bit, and who knows? Let's try and keep an open mind about this, okay?" Coran advised.

The vision of Lotor cradling Lance's body came back to Shiro. The thought made him grit his teeth so hard, he thought he popped a blood vessel in his temple. He knew it was wrong, and he knew he shouldn't allow himself to think like that, but Lance was _his. _

|~|

Collecting his thoughts after his conversation with Coran had not been easy. In fact, he requested a moment alone in the Zuirilian guards training room. After destroying approximately 20 dummies, he finally managed to calm down. It didn't matter anymore to him that Lance was an omega or that those physical traits even existed in the first place. It didn't change his feelings at all.

_His feelings._ Maybe Shiro wasn't always the most adept with dealing with relationships, but he couldn't let that affect him now. Whether he liked it or not, he had strong feelings for the prince of Zuirilia, and they weren't going away any time soon. 

After a bath and some very awkward dinner, Shiro resigned himself back to the room. He had managed to talk with Queen Mavis about the power and influence Voltron had on people, though he felt dirty about it, like he was giving a sales pitch about the values he tries to imbue in the team. She seemed pleased however, to learn more about him and he prayed this would get him on firmer footing against Lotor. 

Coran had drank a few "sutis" which had a similar effect on him as an eight dollar bottle of wine did on Shiro. After a few, he decided he should retire to the room and now Shiro could see he was still passed out on the bed. Unfortunately, he himself couldn't sleep. It's not like he didn't want to. It was like every time he thought he was ready to fall asleep, he jolted awake like he had forgotten something important. After the third round of this, he threw the silken sheets off of himself, grabbed a loose pair of cotton pants, and took a stroll around the castle grounds. At first the guards seemed apprehensive, but one look at Shiro's prosthetic seemed to shut them up quickly. Whatever happened out there, he could definitely handle himself. 

He walked around the garden, occasionally looking up at the sky. It had thousands more stars than he ever saw on Earth. It gave the entire area a soft, silver glow. Walking around the grounds, he examined the castle structure. Despite Altea and other planets having advanced technology, it seemed that Zuirilia had a preference in the antiquated style. Running his hand over the outer rock, it felt like marble or maybe quartzite. He realized he had reached the front of the castle.

As he attempted to enjoy the soothing sounds of nature, a strangled noise came from above. He jerked his head up to see a long, archway window unlatched. One pane was swung open and a curtain rustled in the breeze. He craned his neck to get a good look at who might be in trouble when another sound escaped the tower window. This one, however, was of pure lust. 

_Lance. _His mind was screaming. That was Lance up there. Coran had said something about dealing with heats, but Shiro had been too busy panicking to pay attention. He didn't panic! Why was this happening to him now? Looking around, making sure no guard would see him, he calculated the best way to reach the window. Sure, it was a good thirty, forty feet in the air, but with the style of architecture he figured he had enough footholds to prop him up.

And he was right. After a few attempts, he stood on the sill of the arching window. Now, Lance's sounds had become much louder and it was getting harder for Shiro to focus. Just as he pulled back part of the curtain, he was rewarded with a spectacular sight. 

Lance, who was facing away from the window, was masturbating. Two fingers had breached his rim and were pumping in and out of him. Shiro felt his jaw drop as he watched a gush of clear fluid come from his hole. Then, Lance opened his mouth. 

"Shiro," he panted. "Shiro, Shiro, Shiro, please!" 


	7. Chapter 7

**SHIRO**

_ Oh, god. Oh, god, no. _Shiro stood still at the window. It appeared that Lance was not aware of his presence yet, still coming down from his high. After the shock began to ebb away, the smell hit him. Not just the stench of sweat and bodily fluids, but an overwhelming scent of cinnamon and...there had to be something else to it. It made Shiro's muscles relax, his head go all fuzzy, and his cheeks flush. His hand lifted to brush against the gauzy fabric of the curtain. 

Lance's body jerked upright. His head slowly turned, eyelashes flutter over his cheeks. Shiro swallowed against the strain in his throat. _I have to move, _his mind screamed. 

"Sh-Shiro?" Lance called out softly. 

Some semblance of reason kicked in and Shiro tore himself away from the window, crowding himself on the window ledge to the right. _Don't say anything. He can't know you _saw _him._

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lance's figure come to the window. Both of his hands were placed on the sill, his mouth wide open, eyes shut. Fluttering around him in the breeze was a silken robe, barely wrapped around his lithe figure. A primal part of Shiro wanted to lunge at him, knock him back into the room, _claim _him-but his logic kept him restricted to the right side of the window. 

The prince sighed. "Shiro," he breathed. Then, almost like an unconscious thought, he let out a soft yet resonating cry that electrified Shiro to his very core. 

This time, it took every piece of strength in his body to keep him rooted out of sight. A pounding came from inside the room, causing Lance to move away from the window and back into the room. Shiro could only hear what was going on inside. 

"Why didn't anyone tell me he was in heat? I could claim him right now and this could all be settled!" That was Lotor's voice. And from the sound of it, he was straining against some force. Shiro's stomach curdled at the alien's desire to claim Lance, who was obviously _his_.

"I do not know what rituals the Galra follow, but you will do no such thing to the prince until the ceremony is finished," a gruff voice replied. That was Lance's guard for sure, he had heard it enough to know. 

A cry of laughter. "Just put us in an arena. I know it's down to the two of us. Give me the chance to show you how much stronger I am than him."

Silence.

"We'll discuss this tomorrow." The king's voice. Shiro couldn't place the emotion behind it.

The scuffling steps told him that Lotor was getting escorted out of the room. All this time, Lance hadn't said a single word. The door opened and closed again.

"What were you thinking?" Queen Mavis had arrived. "Letting out a mating call? For just anyone to hear? You're lucky Prince Lotor was the only one who heard. Are you trying to ruin our reputation?"

Shiro heard struggling and something in him knew she had Lance. She was hurting him.

A gasp of breath. "I'm sorry," Lance cried, his voice hiccuping with sobs. "I just wanted..I thought I smelled his scent..."

Lance cried out in pain. The king spoke again. "You have lost your privilege to speak. All I ask is that you keep to yourself. And if this arena match is agreed to, you will attend. Maybe seeing your chosen being broken will break your own rebellious spirit." 

Shiro could still hear sobs, though Lance did not reply. He wondered what they had done to stop him from speaking, but stopped as a hollow ache took over his chest. _They'll look for you soon, _his head reminded him. _You have to go._

Tearing himself from the sill, he carefully descended the castle. He ran back to the garden, then slowed his pace to make it seem as though he had never left and was just taking a nice stroll. Coming back to the back exit, he noticed the guards absentmindedly waved him through. Perhaps they were called to deal with Lotor and didn't have the energy to deal with him, too. Regardless, he walked swiftly to his room and ran over to Coran. 

"Wha-Shiro?" Coran asked, groggy from the sutis' effect on his sleep. 

"They want us to fight, Coran. I think they're going to do things Lotor's way. They're going to put us in the arena...I don't know if there will be calling point. I-I don't know how much like the Galra they want us to fight." He could feel his voice begin to break. If this was anything like the arenas he had fought in before...

Coran sat upright, his mustache squished up on the one side. "Slow down, number one. What happened?" 

Shiro, hunched over on his own bed, recounted the events (excluding the reason why he felt compelled to go to Lance's window and what he saw). Coran listened intently, his brows furrowed in concentration. 

"It's going to work out," Coran finally spoke after Shiro finished his tale. 

"Don't lie to me, Coran," he sighed. "We both don't know what'll happen if I get put back in that head space. What if they make a call at the match and one of us has to kill the other?"

Coran pursed his lips. "That won't happen! Your paladins won't let it happen! If things start looking troublesome, we'll simply yank you right out! Up, up, and away!"

"Then we'll have to deal with Zuirilia eventually declaring war on us and Lance...Lance'll be married off and mated to Lotor." Both thoughts were enough to turn his stomach. 

"You'll just have to win, then."

"What?!"

Coran smiled at him, a smile he had come to know, one of something oddly paternal. "You were chosen by the Black Lion for a reason. Lance trusts you for a reason. You can win this battle, no doubt in my mind about it, Shiro. If not just for the future of the Coalition, you can do it to save Lance. You went through all the terror of the Galra before and it will be hard to deal with this again, but you have all of us behind you. You aren't alone. You aren't trapped. We'll work something out, no matter what."

Shiro let out a dry laugh. "I thought I was supposed to be the one giving pep talks?"

"Eh, it was bound to be my turn sooner or later, my great-great uncle was a famous lecturer back on Altea! Went all over the world just to jabber on!" Coran diverted the subject with a triumphant sort of expression on his face. 

Shiro found himself smiling too, though he couldn't escape the exhaustion behind it. He waved Coran off as he showered and got into the bed. 

"You sure you're all right, lad?" Coran asked in the darkness of the room.

"I'm keeping it together," Shiro replied before falling off into a dream.

_ He was outside the castle. All the other Lions were there, with their respective paladins evacuating all the citizens they could. A scream came from inside and his head jerked up. _

_ "Shiro, wait!" Keith tried to stop him, but he barreled right past. _

_ He was running, faster than he thought he had ever before. In the opening hall, he noticed a small figure desperately trying to make it through the smoke before collapsing on the ground. Shadowy figures moved from behind pillars to leer at the fallen person. _

_ Lance. That had to be Lance. "Get away from him!"_

_ Before thinking, he charged at the Galra surrounding him. Activating his prosthetic hand, he weaved, sliced, and immobilized them all one by one. He was untouchable. Looking down at the other man's body, he scooped him up into his chest. Lance weighed nothing to Shiro and he was quick to move him out of the doomed building. _

_ "Is that-"_

_ Shiro ignored his team, heading straight for his lion. Once inside, he laid the prince down gently on the cot against the back of the head. Trying to rub off some ash with a wet cloth, he felt sharp tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. _He has to be okay, _he thought. _

_ "He'll be fine," Allura called from her comm. "We need to get out of here though, more ships are arriving by the minute."_

_ Shiro replied with some sort of affirmative that pleased her because she didn't contact him a second time. _

_ After dropping off any remaining refugees, they headed back to the castle ship. Shiro gingerly picked up Lance, as he was still out cold. The other members of Voltron fell silent when they saw the prince. Allura silently led the way to the pods, even though Shiro wanted nothing more than to take Lance to his room and keep him safe in his arms. _

Shiro woke with a start to the sound of knocking on the bedroom doors.


	8. Chapter 8

**LANCE**

After that night, King Lucas told the last two, Shiro and Lotor, about the arena battle. Lance was not there to witness their reactions nor their training. All of his information came directly from Killian, the only person who would dare talk to him in his current state. The heat wasn't as bad as the night before fortunately, but it still embarrassed him to witness Killian covering his mouth and nose with his hand every time he entered his room. And, as the queen promised, Lance could not speak. His lips were sealed shut in such a horrific way, he took to using his fan whenever Killian gave him any information. 

Killian was the one to wake him the morning of the fight. His handmaidens flocked him, draping him in royal blue fabric. They applied the golden cuffs, inlaid with crystals, as well as his golden chest plate without a word. Finally, they settled the Zuirilian tiara on top of his pinned hair. Swoops of yellow gold curled and twisted, with the Zuirilian crystals firmly embedded, aside from one. The largest hung like a teardrop, suspended in the center. Lance was expected to be graceful, smooth, and unwavering today. Even if it meant hiding what he truly felt. 

Lance glided down his stairwell with four guards in tow. They would be using a long abandoned arena, at least by royals. There were some smaller, domestic disputes settled there, but none Lance had ever personally witnessed. He was tucked away in a central booth with his parents with guards positioned at every exit. _To make sure I don't do anything, _Lance realized. Apparently, this fight wasn't just for the royal family to view. His stomach coiled in on itself when he saw the nobility enter along with some of the middle class. They were making bets and joking around like old men playing with their tiles. This was no more than a form of entertainment for them. 

He couldn't see either Lotor or Shiro, so he figured they would come out of some part of the arena and probably getting ready somewhere away from the public eye. Too soon for Lance to be calmed again, he saw his father stand up from his seat. The crowd grew silent. 

"Welcome! We are happy you could join us for this momentous occasion! Today, our son, the flower of Zuirilia," Lance stood and nodded at his subjects, "will finally be matched."

The crowd roared with excitement and applause. The king held up his hand to silence them once more. "Competing for the prince's hand, we have Prince Lotor of the Galra!"

Another wave of cheers and applause, followed by other boo's. _They must've bet on Shiro. _Lotor entered the sandy arena with a cocksure grin and a relaxed aura. This was probably just another day to him. He carried a double-edged sword that glinted maliciously. 

"And Takashi Shirogane, the Black Paladin of Voltron!"

Lance tried not to show obvious preference, but his eyes fervently scanned for Shiro. He was almost angry for a moment, Shiro's full name had been something he considered their's, not something sullied by competition and battle. Shiro entered from the other side of the arena in a black jumpsuit, similar to Lotor's, with no evident weapon. He was determined not to look at the audience, unlike Lotor, but straight at.._Oh. _Stormy gray eyes locked onto his brilliant blue. For the past few days, he doubted his colors lit up much, but just that look made him feel he was glowing brighter than the sun. 

"You may begin!"

* * *

**SHIRO**

All he had to do was look at Lance. One look at him and Shiro knew what he had to do. Circling Lotor, he sized him up. _He's still young so- _Before Shiro could finish his thought, Lotor lunged at him, blade at the ready. Shiro almost smirked. _He'll obviously be an offensive player, _Shiro concluded. The younger opponent slashed viciously with his weapon, but Shiro simply side-stepped and evaded. Lotor was a very good swordsman, but couldn't play defense any better than he could tap dance on Earth. 

Turns out Lotor didn't like to be played with. "What's your game, paladin? Why are you still here?" 

Twisting his way out of another strike, Shiro raised an eyebrow. "I would ask the same of you, but thankfully I'm not ignorant."

"Ha! You think this is just about war, paladin? You claim not to be ignorant, but you really are a fool," Lotor chuckled darkly. This time, Shiro charged. Luckily the other suitor hadn't been expecting it. Catching him around the middle, Shiro grabbed Lotor's wrist tightly. They slammed down into the sandy floor and the blade swished across the surface. He hadn't noticed it at the time, but now his arm and hand were lit up in sizzling power. 

"That's right," Lotor sneered, "show him how Galra you really are."

"I'm not anything like you," Shiro growled at him. 

A well placed kick in his side sent him sprawling. Lotor rose above him. "Aren't you? All you do is collect more planets for your own empire. You came here to do the same thing. Don't tell me you actually want to marry the prince." Lotor lowered his voice. "You aren't even an alpha. You could never handle his heat."

Lotor had his blade and lifted it. Thirty three inches of metal rose and sliced down through the air. 

Shiro moved his arm to cover his face. _Lance shouldn't see any of this. _His arm hummed with energy and....

Time seemed to slow.

Shiro saw Lance, his eyes wide with terror in the royal booth. He saw Coran, ready to call the other paladins. _A few words will _not_ beat me. _

The blade was was severed from the hilt. The metal hissed and burned in the turf next to him. 

A monstrous grin overtook Lotor's features. "I'm glad to see you aren't holding back anymore."

"Enough talk. Let's finish what we started," Shiro snapped back. 

And the two did, with more ferocity than the Zuirilians had seen in ages. Cheers rose from the audience, but they were all background noise to him. He was doing this to save Lance and he _would_. No matter how many enemies it took. Lotor and Shiro moved away and approached each other again and again, Lotor ever the offensive swordsman and Shiro working defense. Slices and stabs, punches and kicks. Both were soon dripping blood from one cut or another, Lotor's a deep purple and Shiro's dark red. Shiro was satisfied to see a black bruise forming around Lotor's left eye, where he managed to get in a good hook. He still didn't like how evenly matched they were, though. He trained for years, decades maybe, fighting everything imaginable. Lotor shouldn't even be close to him. 

Soon enough, Shiro has the upper hand again. He has one hand around his throat, the other pulling up his wrists behind his body. Lotor's knees hit the sand and Shiro follows him down to keep his grip on him. He looks to the king and the audience holds their breath. Lotor struggles again and he tightens his hold on the other competitor's throat, now successfully shutting off airflow. 

"Enough!" King Lucas's voice rang out. Shiro released his hold on Lotor and the Galran slumped to the ground. "The Black Paladin of Voltron has won!"

Shiro was well aware of the Galra blood on his hands. How he must look to Lance. But he still searches for him. 

Brilliant blue eyes meet his. Tears are dripping down his face, but his lips are turned up in a smile. _His lips,_ Shiro noticed, _there's something wrong with his lips. _Before he got a moment to rush to the prince, he sees those blue eyes go round with shock.

There was no time for a reaction. 

"You should've killed me when you had the chance," Lotor's raw voice muttered.

Shiro was grateful for the shock. That way he didn't feel the pain when he fell onto the arena floor. All he felt was the warm gush of blood coming from a wound cut clear through his back out through his stomach. 

He heard the king barking out orders, saw Lotor's counselor slip into the shadows. _All this work, _he thought, _to be taken down by that brat. _He wondered what the other paladins would do now without him. Surely they would have to fill the role eventually. Where would they bury his body? It's not exactly like he made arrangements for this type of thing. He looked up at the dusky sky and could almost see them flying to him now. 

_Wait. _

Keith is the first out of his Lion, jumping out while she was still landing outside the arena. He hit the sand running, pushing away Zuirilian court members that had started to swarm. _Of course. Coran called them. They must've been waiting. _Allura was next to join, then Pidge and Hunk. 

"You're gonna be all right, okay?" Keith murmured, though his eyes were filled with tears. Shiro was aware of someone else kneeling next to him. "Don't you have healers or something?!" Keith shouted at the person. 

"You will not address the prince that way!" Killian interrupted. Shiro's eyes tried to focus on the prince, kneeling beside him. His crown was long forgotten, tears dripping off of his cheeks. His parents stood behind him, disdain written on their faces. 

His eyesight began to grow fuzzy, and he realized one last thing before losing consciousness. _He failed his mission. Lance wasn't safe._


	9. Chapter 9

**SHIRO**

The first thing he sees is a stained glass window. Panes of blue and gold, reflecting light through the air and down to the stone floor. Particles of dust floated through the atmosphere peacefully, mimicking the floating grace of snowflakes. He smells cinnamon sugar. He draws his eyes from the window to trail it's colors down to his side, where he's rewarded with another glimmering sight of blue and gold. 

The prince was slumped over his cot, fast asleep. His ever-present guard, Killian, stood about three feet away, surveying the doors. Similarly, Keith lay on the opposite end of the cot, his face resting on his forearms to face Shiro. He, too, was asleep. Shiro didn't want to wake either one but in his attempt not to disturb them, the shift in weight and the rustling of linens alerted them both. 

Lance shot up, his blue eyes dazzling as he searched Shiro's face. "I knew you'd be okay," he breathed before wrapping his arms tightly around his neck. Shiro thought he felt droplets of tears splash off of Lance's cheeks. He hugged the smaller man back, eager that the king and queen wouldn't be there to mandate their contact. 

"What about you?" Shiro asked as they pulled away, cradling Lance's face in one hand. He swiped a thumb over his lips, but whatever he had seen at the arena was long gone now. 

The prince nuzzled into his touch. "I'm fine, now. Do not worry about me, paladin."

Just as Shiro was about to lean in, _because he is Lance's betrothed and he should be able to kiss him as he pleases, _two throats cleared. Both Keith and Killian were frowning at the two, arms crossed in identical positions. Shiro slowly released Lance, though he wanted to lift him onto the cot with him. He figured that would be in poor taste to their audience.

"I'm glad you're back," Keith spoke in even measures, eyeing the prince with...annoyance? Shiro felt a sliver of anger race through him. _Who was Keith to judge Lance? _ "Could we get a moment alone?"

Lance looked like he was about to protest when Killian laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Of course. There is much to discuss between the royal family," Killian interceded. 

The prince frowned for a moment before schooling his features back into a more somber expression. _Cute, _Shiro thought to himself. Lance looked once more at Shiro before lunging forward and placing a quick kiss on his cheek. He flashed a mischievous smile to Shiro before he was muscled out of the room by his dutiful guard. 

The second the door closed, Keith audibly sighed. "What's going on, man?"

Still staring after Lance, touching his cheek where his kiss burned, Shiro answered (very intelligently, he might add), "Huh?"

"You! Look at you, Shiro! You came down here to stop Lotor and the Galra and before the week was even up, you're following around the prince like he's the love of your life! You could've died in that arena. It's a miracle those Zuirilians took to some action to get a healer." Keith sighed again. "We can't lose you, Shiro. You're too important."

Lance's dizzying scent was gone from the room now. Shiro was now very aware of what Keith was saying. "You think I would abandon the cause?"

"I don't know anymore," Keith shot back. "I've never seen you look like you do when that prince is involved. All you had to do was steer him in the direction of another guy, but instead you decided that you would fight to who knows, the death? For that guy. What can be so great about him that would distract you from your mission?"

"Where is all this coming from?" Shiro replied incredulously. "You know my loyalty lies with Voltron and the Coalition. It just so happened that this is one more stop to putting an end to Zarkon and his empire!"

"Is that all it is?" Keith questioned, his expression dark. 

"What do you mean?" Shiro sighed, feeling exhausted with the conversation.

"I think you need to ask yourself if that prince is just a stop to finishing off Zarkon or if he's going to be a distraction for you."

A hollow feeling expanded in Shiro's chest. Before he could respond, the other paladins including Coran and Allura, rushed into the room. Keith tore his eyes away from Shiro's.

"We're so happy you're okay," Allura spoke softly. 

"How long was I out?" Shiro asked, returning his expression to the familiar face they all recognized. They didn't need to know of his and Keith's conversation.

"Ten hours, approximately," Pidge reported. "In the meantime, Lotor has been banned from Zuirilia as well as any of the Galra. His ships have left Zuirilia's orbit and none have come close since then. The king and queen want the ceremony to commence the second you wake up, but I'm assuming Lance will buy you some time to come back around."

Shiro squinted his eyes in confusion. "The ceremony?"

Coran laughed, a strong belly laugh that filled the spacious room around them. "My boy, you won the competition! You and the prince are to be wed! You'll be the..uh, well, the Princes of Zuirilia!"

The reality of his situation suddenly dawned on him. Yes, he would be married to Lance (which was a positive in his book since he couldn't stand the thought of him with anyone else) but he would be king. To an entire people. On a planet of which he had little to no actual background information on. _Would he even be able to leave Zuirilia again? _Keith's worries seemed to start making sense. 

"I know what you're thinking," Coran continued, "but you shouldn't worry about the wedding night too much. They don't expect you to produce heirs on the first try!"

Varying cries of "Coran!" erupted from the group. _Heirs? _Another thing he had not planned on worrying about. 

"You're worrying him, Coran," Princess Allura snapped, then turned to him. "Shiro, everything will work out just fine. You did the right thing."

Thinking about his conversation with Keith, he began wondering if he had. 

Suddenly, the double doors into the room burst open. The royal family (and all of their closest guards) glided in the room, surveying the group of paladins and Alteans. The queen locks eyes with Shiro, her own cold and dark. 

"A moment alone with our future son?" She said, though it wasn't a question, more like a strong suggestion for the others to leave them. 

The group strayed out, flashing apologetic eyes with Shiro while Keith glared at the royalty. Shiro noticed Lance glaring back. 

"So," the queen began, "you have proven yourself worthy in the eyes of Zuirilia to take our son's hand in marriage. The ceremony will proceed in two hours. We will make a public appearance both before and after the ceremony takes place. Before and during the ceremony, you will be in traditional Zuirilian robes. The second public appearance will be in your paladin armor, exemplifying your power. You and the prince will have a brief moment before preparing for the ceremony, which will be chaperoned by Captain Killian. Once you are dressed, you are forbidden from seeing each other until the ceremony. After the second public appearance, the Twining of Souls will take place in the prince's quarters-"

"Sorry, the Twining of Souls? I'm unfamiliar with the term," Shiro interrupted.

The queen's brow furrowed. "I believe your advisor said it is an equivalent to your Earthen 'honeymoon night'."

Both Shiro and Lance's faces flushed. Neither wanted to mentioned what was going to happen between them with his parents right there. The queen barreled on. "After the night passes you will see to your new princely duties. Do you understand these terms and accept them?"

He thought they felt more like a war treaty than a marriage but he nodded. "Yes, I understand and agree."

"Wonderful." The queen's smile reminded him of a Great White shark. "Captain Killian, if you could stay with them?"

The guard nodded and raised his right fist over his chest as salute. Then, as quickly as they came, the king and queen breezed out of the room. The prince respected their wishes by standing idly by Killian until the doors sealed shut once more, then came prancing over to him once more. 

"How are you feeling?" Shiro found himself asking. 

Lance sat next to him on the bed, brushing their shoulders together. "Excited. Nervous." He looked into Shiro's eyes, those brilliant ocean blues drowning him. "I feel safe."

Shiro eyed the guard and the guard eyed him back. _Screw it, _Shiro thought and pulled the smaller boy in between his legs, so Lance's back was pressed flush against his chest. He wrapped his arms around his waist and inhaled that cinnamon sugar scent that flooded his senses. He caught a slight purr from the back of Lance's throat and he rested his forehead against his shoulder. 

"I'll always keep you safe," Shiro murmured, Keith's words echoing in his mind. "I would do anything for you."


	10. Chapter 10

**SHIRO**

Shiro thought getting ready for the event was the most grueling. He wasn't given a moment to himself to think or even process what had happened in the past week. Suddenly, he was getting suited up to marry an alien and fighting an intergalactic war on top of it? He couldn't dwell on much before his head began to hurt and he dismissed it all for more anxious thoughts about what was happening in the present. All wrapped in Zuirilian garb, he felt like the alien as the long-haired people swished around him. All he ever saw were the military personnel and servants scuttling about him until the king came into the room.

Shiro inclined his head in a slight bow. "Your Majesty."

"The matchmaker said you would be the best choice," King Lucas spoke, ignoring Shiro's greeting. 

Shiro stood up straight, though the king was matching him in every inch of his height. "I'm sorry, your Majesty?"

"I'm sure you're wondering why I wished for Lotor to mate my son instead of you, am I wrong?"

His mouth dropped open for a moment before he hastily closed it. "I-it's none of my business, your Majesty. You were just making the best decision you knew to make. I take no offense to it."

The king hummed. "I did not think you would win the battle. Lotor has been training to lead and to fight since he was a mere child. And yet...An ex-Gala prisoner managed to beat him down and show him mercy."

"I learned to fight from the Earthen military. I wouldn't credit who I am today completely to the Galra," Shiro said quietly, though his words fell like cement bricks. "They took just as much from me and I did of them."

"And how many of them did you take? Paladin, I'm aware of your history with the Galra," he dismissed the staff and military guard. "I know of the many you left slaughtered in arenas. You never showed them any mercy."

Shiro frowned and glared at the older man. "What are you expecting out of this conversation?"

"Ah, there it is. The blunt questions of a soldier asking for a mission. What I want from you, Takashi Shirogane, is for you to always choose my son."

"What?" 

The king sighed and sat down on a pouf. "You have fought for causes before, and abdicated them. Your Earthen military you have not returned to. The Galra you left in a state of panic and anger. Now you serve a intergalactic force determined to put an _end_ to the Galra. You also are serving the Zuirilian cause, whether you like it or not, by marrying my son. I want you to promise me that if the situation should arise where you must choose between your Coalition and my boy that you choose him."

"O-of course I will, your Majesty," Shiro answered. 

"I know Lance is strong," King Lucas muttered, as if the others were listening on the other side of the door. They probably were. "But we can't risk losing him. He is the only heir to Zuirilia, my only child. You cannot judge me too harshly for wanting to protect him."

Shiro bowed his head once more. "I will protect him with everything I have."

The king nodded then rose from the seat. He saluted Shiro, the right fist clasped over his chest, and disappeared out the doors. Servants soon rushed back in and finished working on him, as he stood solid as a statue. He began to wish to see Lance before the ceremonies began. He deserved to know how much his father actually cared about him. _Though he has a funny way of showing it._

Now it was time for the first public address. The people of Zuirilia, those who could not get into the royal wedding, cheered as they watched the king and queen. More cheers when he walked out with Lance shortly after. 

"We are so honored to serve you," the queen began. "You have allowed us to reign and keep you safe. Now, we do that by selecting our champion for the heart of Zuirilia!"

Lance and Shiro waved to the sea of people, the Zuirilians' long, beautiful hair mixing into one pelt. They cheered, "Long live the king! Long live the queen! Long live Zuirilia!" 

A few more words of basic affirmation were said, along with one more chant, before the family retired back into the castle.

"I'll be wearing something different later, so do not think you've seen the best of me," Lance whispered in his ear before gliding away on the arm of his guard. It sent chills all over his body and due to the flowing nature of his robes, he had to conceal thoughts about Lance rather quickly.

Before long, he stood in front of an altar. All the nobility were seated, those unnerving, glowing eyes seeing right through him. He knew he would not be the attraction here. It would be Lance. And it was right to think so. Thousands of gold chains, delicate not confining, swept across his arms, his neck, his chest, hips, and down to his ankles. The clothes felt more like lingerie to Shiro, with tight stitching to complement Lance's figure and dips to show off his unmarred tan skin. The crown was the most intricate he had ever seen, though it rose about six inches off the top of his head. The crystals winked and shone from every angle possible to the awed crowd. He didn't speak a word to Shiro before the priestess began her passage, but it was clear that he was giddy from the way he shook to the glimmer in his eye. It was, in Shiro's eyes, adorable.

"Will you, Takashi Shirogane, connect your soul to Prince Lance Reyes of Zuirilia for all eternity; pledging to uphold his honor and protect his dignity?" The priestess' voice rang out through his mind.

"I will," he answered, not taking his eyes off the brunette next to him.

"Will you, Lance Reyes, Prince of Zuirilia, connect your soul to Takashi Shirogane for all eternity; pledging to uphold his honor and protect his dignity?" 

A flitter of eyelashes. "Yes, I will."

The priestess chanted in Zuirilian quietly to herself before opening her arms in a welcoming gesture. "Zuirilia herself has blessed this marriage!" 

The aristocrats applauded and Coran might've let out a little whoop. He had told Shiro that certain gods may bless the marriage, the priest or priestess might, or if the couple is deemed quite exceptional, they get the blessing from the planet. He wasn't really paying much attention because now he could kiss Lance. His mind flashed to the horrible etiquette displayed by Lotor in his dream all that time ago. _No, you will be polite. A peck and done. You have all night for the rest._

The kiss was over all too soon, more a brush of skin than anything, leaving both parties disappointed and yearning for more. Shiro mentally checked out for the second public address, though he felt Lance's eyes openly roving over his paladin's armor. He almost wanted to blush but if Lance showed no shame, why should he? He lowered his eyes slowly, enjoying the advantages of being a foot taller than his now-husband. This way, he could take in all of him without stepping back, seeing every inch of uncovered caramel skin. He would bet gold coins it tasted as good as it looked.

The two were ushered then, by armed guard, to Lance's room. Before they entered the queen called, "Do not allow them to leave without matching marks."

Shiro shared a startled look before they were unceremoniously shoved in the room. 

"S-so, the m-mark," Lance stuttered. He seemed considerably more nervous now.

"What do I have to do?" Shiro asked, running a hand through his partner's hair. 

"You-you have to m-mark me, right here," Lance tapped a finger to the middle part of his neck, shivering. "It's right over a scent gland. That's how we bond. Then you can't leave me without extreme difficulty and pain for the both of us. That's how we share abilities too, by being mated, but I doubt you'll get anything from me. I'm kind of a dud there."

Shiro guided his hand back down so he could hold it in his own. "Don't undersell yourself. Is that why you're nervous? You think I expect anything more than who you are?"

Lance ducked his head. "No..Once you're bonded, you can't really go back. I-I wanted to make sure you're okay with this. Okay with me. If you want to jump into your Lion and fly away, this is your last chance."

"I promise I'm not leaving you," Shiro spoke gently. "I told you I'd do anything for you."

"Anything? Then...I have a special request," Lance also lowered his voice.

Shiro found himself grinning. "Just say the word and I'll obey."

A flush adorned Lance's cheeks yet again. "I-I don't wanna..." His words trailed off in a mumble. 

"You know I have to hear the word to obey it, right?" Shiro joked. 

Lance took a large breath in and out. He stared up at Shiro, those dazzling blue eyes locking onto his own grey. "I don't want to have 'sex' here."

Shiro raised his eyebrows. Obviously, sex wasn't a term they used often around here. He wondered if he had asked someone from the team, or worse, Coran, what humans called it. "I'll go wherever you're comfortable. How are we going to get past the guards, though?"

"I was thinking this way?" Lance offered, moving over to the window. 

He felt the color rise to his cheeks when he thought about the reason he scaled the building the last time. "O-oh, okay."

Lance breezed closer to him, running a hand across his chest. "I know you've done it before."

"I-But I-How-I was so careful!" Shiro stammered, uncomfortable. 

"I could smell you from a light year away," Lance laughed softly. "I was in the height of my heat, I was foolish to try and lure someone who couldn't scent me."

"I did...'scent' you, though."

"What?" Lance's eyes were wide with curiosity. 

Shiro looked away. "I don't know. The closer I get to you the more I can smell it. Like right now," he sniffed the air, "you smell like cinnamon and marshmallow." He laughed to himself. "You smell like a s'more from a bonfire on the beach."

The scent got heavier in the air as Lance turned an even darker shade of red. "You-you shouldn't say how someone smells so bluntly. I-I don't even know what those things are!"

"What do I smell like?" Shiro asked.

Lance glanced at his neck tentatively, then curled an arm around it to pull him up to it. He took a deep inhale, lips inches from Shiro's skin. "You smell like the forest after rain. You smell clean, yet wild. Like bathing in a waterfall."

Shiro stood stunned, his armor growing uncomfortable. "How about that plan to get out of here?"

Lance smiled devilishly. "Be careful, paladin. Your wild is showing."


	11. Chapter 11

**SHIRO**

Shiro counted out the minutes in between guard shifts below them while Lance thoroughly scented the room. He said this way it would make it more believable that they were still in there. For Shiro, it was just making his undersuit more uncomfortable. Soon, they had the window of opportunity. Lance deftly climbed on Shiro's back, arms and legs wrapped tightly around him. Just like it was a muscle memory, Shiro launched himself back down and moved into the garden. From there they could hide among the forested parts until they left castle grounds. 

"All right, Prince," Shiro lowered him softly to the ground. "Lead the way."

Lance blushed deeply, lowering his head. "It's Lance. Please."

Shiro smiled to himself as he followed obediently, slowly recognizing the path. It was the same they took to see the matchmaker, however instead of moving up, Lance slid down a small hill. 

"You seem to know the path very well," Shiro comments in the dark. 

"I come here when I can," Lance answered. "It's a nice place to get away from things. Some parts are within the matchmaker hut's distance, which neutralizes any power from Zuirilians. It's a nice...getaway."

Shiro nodded. He couldn't imagine what it was like for Lance in that palace with his mother. He would probably look for an escape too, though. They continued walking in silence until Lance slowly swept aside a tangle of vines. In front of Shiro was one of the most beautiful sights of his life. Despite it being late at night, crystals cropped up from the ground that emanated a soft pink or cerulean blue glow. This was where the waterfall ended, the whooshing water spilling into a tiny pond. Even underwater, it seemed the crystals could grow as the pool lit up. All around it was soft greenish-blue grass mixing with deep blue moss the closer they came to the water. The simple plants Shiro had noticed that day to the matchmaker's hut shared a bioluminescence, each a different color. Looking up, there was a sky full of foreign stars that shone brighter than anything he had seen on Earth. And last but not least stood the prince, with fractals of light reflecting off of his still-clothed body, bright eyes watching Shiro.

"What do you think?" Lance asked him meekly.

"It's..amazing.." Shiro breathed out, more taken with the prince than he had ever been before. "I see why you love it so much."

Lance walked over to Shiro, trailing a hand down his arm. "It certainly is captivating."

"Just like you," Shiro replied with a grin. 

Lance ducked his head as a familiar blush adorned his cheeks. "Would it..I mean, if you would like to..do you want to perhaps.."

"Kiss you?" He interrupted. 

"Yes."

Shiro gently cupped the other man's face, leaning down while the prince raised himself up. The kiss was sweet and hesitant. Both their eyes fluttered shut as Shiro went to deepen it. His jaw opened a bit more as his tongue slipped out of his mouth and pressed against Lance's. The prince happily opened up with a sound of contentment, working against his now-husband. Shiro held him tighter, one arm circling his waist and the other hand tangling in Lance's long hair. With bodies pressed flush against each other it wasn't too long before Shiro was gently tugging on Lance's hair and the other was obediently leaning back for him. The paladin left his mouth, Lance choking out a broken sound that shot straight to his groin as he began to nose around his neck. 

"Maybe...we ought to...lay..down?" Prince Lance panted.

Shiro felt a growl rise up from his chest as he hastily moved to the soft grass below them. He licked a thick stripe up the side of his neck and the prince shuddered. A cinnamon scent released all around them. God, Shiro could get addicted to it. He could taste it with every kiss, every lick of that tanned skin. Lance had begun canting his hips up to Shiro after a particularly hard suck of his skin, leaving a bruise in it's wake. 

"Please..clothes off...I need more," the prince begged. And Shiro was happy to comply. 

He slid his hands under the white cloth covering the body of his betrothed, pulling back the reigns of his screaming libido to remove it gently. He unhooked each strand of fabric from the corset, flinging it to the side of the clearing. He leaned back on his heels to admire his handiwork. Lance, flushed and panting, legs spread over his hips, the only thing left covering him was a rather sheer pair of panties which were...soaked. Shiro's heated mind focused on the wet patch covering most of the panties, sticky and dripping. 

Lance's hands covered himself. "It's..the heat..wants me to mate.." He stuttered out. 

_Mate? Mate. Mate. **Mate. **_A little beast in Shiro's chest positively roared the word. He wasn't sure how quickly he got off the paladin suit or where it lay in the clearing, all he knew was that the prince was quivering below him and looking at him like he was a god. 

"You-you're big for a human," he said softly, a hand drifting to trace lines on Shiro's straining cock. 

"Are you scared?" Shiro asked, trying to remind himself that he was still dealing with a virgin and had to be careful. If Lance needed to stop, he had to be ready to reel himself back in. 

"Is it wrong if I say no?" Lance asked in return, meeting his grey eyes. "I trust you. If I had any doubts before, they're gone now. You were destined to be mine."

Shiro was shaking from the effort not to flip him over and take him. He was _his. _"We should have a safe word..or a phrase."

Lance cocked his head to the side, looking way too innocent for someone with his hand wrapped around Shiro's dick. "What does that mean?"

"It means that..if you need to stop or a break...it's a word that'll help me..stop.." Shiro grunted out as Lance moved his hand slowly up and down. 

"Okay.." Lance thought for a moment. "What about 'hands off'? Makes sense to me."

"Works for me," Shiro strained. "If you ever need to me to stop, say 'hands off'."

Lance nodded. After a moment of silence, he quietly asked, "We're going to have sex now, aren't we?"

"Only if you say it's okay," Shiro replied. 

"How.." Lance bit his lip like he was ashamed to even say it, "How do you want me?"

By now Shiro was sweating like he had gone through all the levels of the training simulator. The prince now lay back on his elbows, eyes darting to Shiro then back away. "It'll probably feel better if you're on your hands and knees," Shiro offered. 

Lance swallowed hard and moved according, exposing his backside to the other man. "Like this?"

"Perfect," Shiro growled out, hands clasping around his hips. He ground his dick against Lance's ass, reveling in the slippery liquid and restriction of the panties still in the way. In a moment of animalistic drive, Shiro ripped them in two, exposing his ass with a cry. Sooner than later, they were both back to where they left off. Lance was throwing himself back against Shiro, gasping and panting while Shiro thrust in between his cheeks. 

"You ready for me?" Shiro moaned in between thrusts.

"Yes! Yes! Please, I need you!" Lance chanted. 

Shiro stilled the other's hips with a strong hand, using the other to slowly guide himself in. Lance could've been a pornstar the way he sucked in Shiro's tip. There was a squelching sound and thick, sticky, clear liquid dripped around his already puffy hole. Lance was breathing heavily. With every new inch, more liquid gushed out until Lance's upper body was pushed into the grass with his ass high in the air, dripping onto the ground below. Shiro finished, bottoming out with another loud moan from Lance. 

He swiped up some of the clear liquid with two fingers, bringing them up to his mouth. _So _this _is where the scent comes from, _he thought as he tasted bittersweet cinnamon sugar. "You taste fucking amazing," He blurted out, unable to help himself. 

"Did you just taste my-"

A sharp, tiny thrust cut off Lance's question. "Yeah," Shiro answered. "And I'd do it again for hours."

Lance keened, a high, whiny sound. "That-that's not what it's for!" 

Shiro dragged himself slowly out of the tightening walls. "Then what's it for, my prince?"

"No, no, wait, don't! Don't pull out! It's just meant to smooth things out! For you! For my mate!" Lance was begging below him as he remained inside, though just the tip. 

"Just for me?" Shiro teased. He couldn't help himself with the trembling man beneath him.

Lance looked over his shoulder, one brilliant eye meeting Shiro's. "I only get slick for you. Only when I think about you."

Shiro smiled. "Let's keep it that way," he said and slammed back into Lance. A strangled sound escaped the other, a mix between a moan and a shout of surprise. He began thrusting with new vigor, chasing those sweet sounds coming out of Lance's mouth. 

Eventually, Lance seemed to figured him out. The more he talked, the harder Shiro seemed to drill into him. "Shiro-Shiro, please!! Need more, more of you! Want so much more! Wanna feel your cum!"

Shiro flipped the small body over, still grasping his hips firmly. "I wanted to be gentle for your first time, but..you've got a nasty mouth and I won't back down from what it wants."

Lance seemed to like hearing that, arching his body to get more, feel more. Shiro was about to begin his orgasm when he felt something odd. He looked down at his cock, now covered in Lance's slick, and saw a large bump forming around the base. 

"Lance..Lance! What is that?" He brought the man up in his lap, gesturing down.

Lance's eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "A knot."

"So, what does that mean?" Shiro asked, concerned. 

The prince looked back up at him, though his eyes remained large and unfocused. "Means you're reacting to my heat. The way a Zuirilian would. Means you wanna breed me."

The monster in Shiro purred at the thought. _Breed him, yes, yes, knot him, breed him, mate him, _it sang. "Do you wanna be...bred?" He asked shakily, fully expecting to hear the other say 'hands off'. 

But Lance always surprised him. Clasping his hands around Shiro's neck he said, "Only if it's you."

Shiro couldn't be held responsible for his actions after that. He grabbed Lance's hips, bouncing him on his cock a few more times before his knot slipped into his tight heat, and _fuck. _Shiro was sure he was babbling incoherent curses because he was experiencing the best orgasm of his life. Every muscle pulled taught, eyes rolling back, and mouth dropping open kind of orgasm. He felt Lance's own cock splatter across his bare chest as they both cried out together. 

When he came back to, he was still stuck inside Lance who was breathing heavily. "You are so perfect," he murmured, kissing gently over his neck. 

"Not done," Lance whispered. "Need to bite me."

"Where do you want it?" Shiro asked, surveying his skin. 

Lance used a limp hand to point vaguely to his neck before it fell back down. So Shiro found the spot oozing the most scent and bit down, hard. The familiar metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he pulled away. He licked over the wound gently, going on autopilot for what felt right.

"Now, I'm yours." Lance spoke quietly, but happily. "You're my mate."


	12. Chapter 12

**LANCE**

Shiro was sweet after the Twining, carefully setting Lance among the pillow-like grasses. It took a little while longer to release Shiro's new knot, clearly a surprise to the both of them. Lance had heard tales of those who married from beyond Zuirilia sharing their natures with their mate, though he supposed they were just tales. He thought a lot of things were just tales. Now, Shiro stood in front of him, a god in his own sense, breaking apart Lance's old reality into a stunning new one. 

"Do you want to wash up?" Shiro mumbled, swiping a hand across his sweaty brow. 

Lance propped himself up, eyeing the pool of water. "I do, but I'm pretty sure my legs are useless at the moment."

Shiro just smiled and lifted him up gently, an arm around his back and under his knees. The prosthetic chilled him for a moment, but the warm waters that enveloped the both of them disbanded any discomfort. Lance sighed, floating on his back to look up at the stars above him. Shiro sunk below the glowing blue water for a moment, returning with a contented sigh himself. They relaxed in silence, just basking in the perfect night around them. Shiro swam over to Lance after a bit, wrapping two strong arms around his small body. 

"What's all this about?" Lance laughed softly as Shiro hid his face in the crook of his neck. It seemed his favorite place to rest on Lance, inhaling the sweet scent that he was still producing in full.

"Is it not common for Zuirilians to cuddle after?" Shiro asked. His voice was hushed and hot against Lance's skin.

Lance giggled again, a bit louder. "Nothing about you is common. That is good," he quickly added after feeling the other man deflate behind him. "The truth is I didn't know what to expect from this. Or from you. Most Zuirilian royals do not love each other, they're married for political or financial advantage."

"Do you think you will..love me?" Shiro asked tentatively.

Lance thought for a moment. Physically, he was perfectly matched for Shiro. Their scents and the triggering of Lance's heat proved that much. He admired Shiro's values and enjoyed his personality but they had only known each other for less than a week. There was no guarantee that they would actually fall in love with each other rather than just lust over each other. That thought didn't sit well with him, just using each other to get through heats or ruts then falling back apart. 

"I hope so," Lance finally answered. 

"Me too." Shiro's voice barely reached him, perhaps he was too scared to share his full feelings with Lance. It would not surprise him. 

A few more moments passed, floating in silence before Shiro spoke again. "We should get back to the castle."

Lance sighed. He was not ready for the eventual headache he would get, being in his mother's range. He wished he could spent the night out here; just him, Shiro, and Zuirilian nature. But that was a privilege he would not get any time soon. He would always have to return to the castle, there would always be another issue to tackle, and that would be his life for the next however many years. At least he would have Shiro by his side. 

They slid out of the water and back into their clothes. Shiro offered to carry him back but Lance refused. He wouldn't nor couldn't be coddled all the time. Sneaking back into the castle had been just as easy as getting out, Lance made a mental note to think about if they should increase patrol intervals. They both laid in his bed, much softer than the ground from the spring. As Shiro trapped him in his large arms once more, they drifted off to sleep.

_"I need to go!" Shiro yelled at him. Lance snapped his head all around him. He must be dreaming that awful dream again. Alarms were blaring, citizens screaming. _

_ "Then go!" He found himself yelling back to his partner. _

_ Shiro looked very upset. "I can't leave you here! Please, come with me."_

_ Even though it was a dream, Lance's heart still felt heavy. "You protect them, Shirogane. I must protect my own, too."_

_ A loud explosion rang through the castle. It shook the stone floor beneath their feet. _

_ "Don't you see? They're coming for you! I have to keep you away from them!" Shiro was near begging, holding Lance's hand tightly.   
_

_ "Just because I am an omega does not mean I am helpless!" Lance shouted. He tugged his hand out of his mate's grasp. "You take care of their ships. Create Voltron. Save whatever and whoever you can."_

_ Shiro sighed. "I'm trying to save you."_

_ A pounding on the door. Galran voices snarled behind it. Lance shoved Shiro towards the window he had scaled now three times. "Go. Now. If you don't, I'll never forgive you."_

_ Shiro gave a look of protest before Lance pushed him out the window and crawled into the servant's corridor. The Galra stepped in a moment later, hissing at the displeasure of losing both the princes. Lance hugged his knees to his chest and prayed it would all be over soon as the smell of ash and smoke filled his senses..._

He awoke with a start. He inhaled experimentally a few times. Nothing in the air. Lance sighed and settled back down in the bed. Just as his eyes began to close again...**DOOM.**

This time, both he and Shiro bolted upright. 

"Something just entered the atmosphere," Shiro said, leaning over to get his comm for Voltron. "Did you guys hear that?"

A voice crackled through. "Hear it? We're living it! Turns out the Galra really don't like weddings!"

Lance's blood ran cold. "Where are they? How many ships entered the atmosphere?" 

"Only one ship breached, your Highness." That was Allura, princess of Altea. "There are several warships out here, we're doing our best to hold them off!"

Lance's mind was spinning. "I'll call for evacuation. It's only a matter of time before more breach the atmosphere. I'll make another call to get all the troops stationed and ready." Both of them were getting dressed, Shiro in paladin's armor and Lance in Zuirilia's. 

"We need you out here, Shiro!" Ah. That was the young man who didn't like Lance. "We need Voltron!"

Shiro looked at Lance. "I can't leave you." 

Lance huffed. "Yes, you can!" **DOOM. **Another ship entered Zuirilia. "And you have to do it quick! They've probably got us surrounded, your team needs you!"

His dream was becoming a reality. He could already start to smell smoke. Lance reached out mentally to his mother. _Galra. Two ships already landed. Ready for war. _He didn't bother hearing whatever she was going to retort back. He was too focused on his mate in front of him. Instead of the warm, inviting scent he was used to, it had turned sour. Shiro was upset. 

"Come with me, I can protect you," Shiro offered, a twinge of desperation in his voice. 

Lance walked over to him and kissed the top of his head. "And leave my people to die? I cannot, Shiro. I know how this battle ends. They need you."

He could tell the other man was about to protest again, so he interrupted. "Just because I am royalty does not mean I'm more important than my citizens. We are not a helpless people but we are less populous than the Galra. Magic and power only does so much before numbers overwhelm. I'm trying to get you out there quicker so we get more time."

The jeers of Galra soldiers echoed throughout the castle. They had begun the siege. 

"And who will lead the survivors if the royal family is dead?" Shiro asked back.

"There are systems in place in the case of these things. Please, go and join your friends."

"Not without you."

Lance ran his hands through his long hair, tying it up in a warrior's bun. "We've already had this discussion, I've already seen the outcome. You must leave now or we will lose many."

"What does that mean? You've already seen how this ends? We've already talked about this? Talk to me, Lance!" Shiro was yelling now over the sounds of war. 

Lance brushed a hand gently over the paladin's cheek. "Thank you for your service, Takashi, but it's my turn. I know what I need to do. You have awoken my power, much like you've awoken my body. I must be willing to fight now."

The screams of his people reached over castle walls. They cut straight through Lance's heart. He could feel the stomps of the Galra coming towards them. He pushed Shiro to the window. "You have to leave now. Trust me, I will be here when you return. I am not as helpless as you think."

Shiro's brow furrowed as he too knew what was coming for them both. "You promise me that you'll be here when I come back?"

Lance smiled at his mate. "Save the world for me."

Shiro brought him in for one last kiss, one that buzzed Lance to his core before leaping out the window. Now, Lance was alone and it was just a matter of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much to everyone who has been commenting and giving out kudos! i love hearing from you guys and knowing that im doing a decent job!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoooaa it's been a hot second since I updated this! sorry about that, school caught up to me a bit quicker than I thought! luckily the coronavirus caught up to school so I thought I would take advantage of the quarantine to update some stuff. hope you all are keeping safe out there, remember to wash your hands often and practice social distancing! love you all! <3

**LANCE**

The floor rumbled as a new line of explosives went off. Lance focused hard, searching for his mother. Acting strong in front of Takashi was one thing, but knowing what to do next was another. He had just begun to feel something when-

**THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.**

Lance's eyes grew wide as he stared at his door. The hinges shook under the assault and the handle clacked against the wood. If this was going to happen now, so be it. He focused his energy, making sure to take deep breaths. The door shook three more times. _You can do this, _he reassured himself. 

The door slammed open.

Lance pushed out all his energy in front of him, a golden wave cascading over the invading-

_Killian?!_

The majority of his royal guard stood hovering in the air, Killian at the center. Lance immediately brought down the wall. "What is the meaning of this?" 

"You did it!" Killian seemed to have forgotten about the siege for a moment. "You finally got your power! A Time Master, well done, your Highness!"

Lance huffed his breath. "Thank you, however, you seem to be forgetting something. Why are you here?" 

"To protect you, your Highness. It is clear now that the Galra had no intention of letting things go. We should've seen it coming the second that traitorous prince stabbed the paladin." Killian shook his head. "But that's behind us now. We need to move you to the rendezvous spot."

Killian reached forward to grab Lance's arm but he tugged himself away. "No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"I will not let you risk your life for me. You owe it to the people to protect them. Tell me where to go to _help_ and I will gladly follow, but I will not stand idly by and wait for my people to get slaughtered," Lance said firmly. 

Killian looked at his guard. "We were given strict orders from the queen-"

Lance felt his face flash annoyance and disgust. "Do not make me keep you here. I will not be a coward simply because my mother orders it."

"But-"

"Do you trust me or not?!" Lance lashed out, fury blazing in his once-calm, blue eyes.

Killian's eyes widened a fraction before saluting the prince. "They just managed to get into the entrance hall, that's where their heaviest forces are. If you can keep them there, we can send out the special forces to protect and evacuate the citizens."

"Thank you," Lance breathed out in relief. He ran out of the room, slipping into the back corridors to get to the main hall unseen. Though the occasional debris rained from the stone ceiling, he was not attacked by any Galra soldiers. Either Lotor had not been given enough time to fully scope out the palace or maybe they were under orders to keep him alive.

Seeing the entrance hall used to give him excitement, being so close to the outside world. But, seeing it now, it only filled him with cold dread. The doors had been blasted open, black soot littering the ground and doors. The beautifully carved columns were cracked, some breaking apart. It was the fight that propelled him onward. Men and women in Zuirilian armor were hacking and dodging away to and from the enemy. Lance recognized a few from the special force unit but he realized with horror most were citizens forced into the military for their two years of mandatory service. There were some bodies on the ground he refused to look at.

"Retreat!" His voice rang out, surprising himself with the projection. 

A few of the soldiers looked back in confusion. Lance had not donned on his showy, shiny, perfectly adorned armor. He had chosen the armor of a general. He looked like a normal citizen under the helmet. 

"Retreat!" He called again, somehow stronger. This time, his soldiers began moving back. A slash or two and they were running back to him. But Lance had other plans. 

He ran forward, pushing past the others, towards the line of enemies. Deep laughter sounded as the Galra soldiers appraised his size. 

"Sending a mere child out all alone? Finish it, then move on," the biggest one ordered. 

"Good luck with that," Lance muttered before refocusing his energy. This one would take a lot more than the one he conjured in his bedroom. The wall would have to cover the entire entrance hall and be much deeper to adjust for the size of the Galra. Lance brought his arms close to his chest, thinking about the specifics. He didn't have much time, he could see the soldiers approaching. With all his might, he pushed out his arms.

**FLOOM.** The sound was similar to jumping into a lake or pond, water rushing past your ears. Lance cracked his eyes open and a dazzling golden swirl forced his pupils to shrink. Opening his eyes wider, Lance saw something incredible. 

It looked like it was made of something syrupy, colored like the warmest gold Lance had ever seen. Part of it called to him, much like a siren's song, begging him to just dip a finger in. The wall stretched exactly to the measurements of the hall. And those beyond it were well taken care of. Galra soldiers had not moved from their position, all thanks to Lance's time-stopping abilities. 

As Lance went to walk away, however, he heard it crack. A long, jagged line spread right down the middle. He rushed forward again, splaying his arms apart and feeling a tug in his stomach. He would have to stay to hold the line. 

He felt the eyes of his people boring into his skull. "Go!" He croaked out. "Search and evacuate."

"But surely someone should wait in case-"

"Go!" Lance repeated more urgently. Even if he couldn't save everyone, he could damn well try. He knew the wall would not last long. Eventually, it would fall, Lance would be discovered, and beyond that, he had not planned much. He vaguely remembered dreams he had before, of Shiro rescuing him and holding him in his arms. Lance's lips cracked a smile. _What a wonderful wedding day I've had. _

In the time he had left, Lance thought about his life. He was never one to like philosophy, but as it turns out, realizing you could die at any moment makes you reevaluate some things. He wondered how many lives had been lost to protect his own. He wondered if his family was safe. He wondered if Voltron had been formed and if they had evacuated the citizens. He wondered about Shiro. A man who had given everything to him, fought for him, protected him. If Lance did make it out alive, he doubted he could ever repay the paladin. 

Minutes passed into an hour and Lance grew weaker. His body was sore, crying out for him to rest just for a moment. His senses were raw and numb. He considered, for a moment, that Shiro could hear his thoughts from the atmosphere. _If that's the case, _Lance thought, _keep them safe. Goodbye, Takashi Shirogane._

His arms fell, his body collapsed, and he awaited the cold blade of his enemy. 

* * *

**SHIRO**

Fighting off fighter jets, Shiro could manage. Grappling with feelings of anger and admiration for his new mate, he could not. Shiro shoved all that to the back of his mind, and let the instincts kick in. Ordering his team was like autopilot, a second nature. He tried to keep his feelings for Lance out of it. 

"We need Voltron and quick!" Keith's voice crackled over the intercom. 

"Pidge, Hunk, how we doing on rescue?" Shiro called back out. 

"Zuirilians are prideful little shits, I can say that much," Pidge replied. Shiro smiled as he remembered Lance vehemently rejecting his help after the Twining. 

Hunk interrupted her and Shiro's warm thoughts. "What she means to say is, yeah, we got the citizens. Some of the militia have their own ships and it seems like a whole bunch just got released. We're gonna jump over a bit to land on one of their sister planets. Do you need us to stay to form Voltron?"

"Have you seen any of the royals ships leave the planet?" Shiro blurted out. 

"Nope, I've met some of the royal guards. It sounds like the royal family is planning to hold down the palace," Hunk reported. 

Shiro felt a twinge in his stomach. A sour taste crawled up his throat. His head spun. He released the controls for a moment to hold his head in his hands. _What is this? What is happening to me? _Shiro never panicked in battle. At least, not to this extent. Then, he heard it.

The faintest whisper. 

_Keep them safe. Goodbye, Taka-_

His lion reacted before he could, diving back into Zuirilia's atmosphere. His hands found the controls eventually as he refocused himself. 

"What are you doing, Shiro?!" Keith shouted.

Shiro muted his communicator. 

His heart was beating out of his chest. Shiro locked onto the castle. _He wouldn't do that. He promised me that he would be there when I came back. He promised. _Shiro knew what it was like to lose your sanity. To have to fight for your life; survive or die. He hadn't planned that bonding with Lance would drive him to similar feelings. 

**BOOM. **Shiro snapped his head to the screens to see what had exploded. Nothing had. 

The castle was falling. 

The castle he left Lance in was falling. 


	14. Chapter 14

**SHIRO**

Shiro lurched his lion forward, executing a perfect aerial dismount. In this moment, his lion was just like another extension of his body. The second he was safe on the ground, it took off to find a safe place to wait. Shiro evaluated his fighting grounds. The palace steps were still mainly intact at the moment, but crumbling fast. There were about three Galra fighter ships parked in front of the entrance hall, which means Shiro is facing about fifteen Galra soldiers. _Nothing new, _Shiro reminded himself. If he needed to, he could take them down without batting an eye.

His feet carried him to the doors, now covered in soot from a particularly strong explosive. Peering inside, he narrowed his exact number down to thirteen soldiers. Shiro's eyes scanned around the room for Zuirilian soldiers and only saw bodies on the floor matching the armor. This crew of Galra was here to track down the royal family and clearly didn't think it would be much of a challenge. Shiro knew differently. He saw what the queen could do. She alone could take out the majority of soldiers. 

Shiro slinked into the shadows, careful to keep this as stealthy as possible. All he needed to do was find-

"This one is still breathing!" One Galra called out, kicking a body in the center of the room. Three more came over and ripped off the Zuirilian's helmet. 

Shiro's eyes strained to see what happened next. 

"Well, well, well! What do we have here? Prince Lance, the exact person we were looking for!"

Shiro's blood turned cold. He watched as the strongest of the guard yanked Lance up to stare into those eerie yellow eyes. Lance looked exhausted, sweat glimmering on his skin. Shiro had to fight the urge to run out and slit the alien's throat. A proud feeling accompanied by a streak of fear spread over him as he saw Lance spit on the soldier. 

"Seems he still has some fight in him! I see why Lotor wants to keep this one," a female soldier cackled.

The group of Galra had crowded closely around Lance. If Shiro played this right, it would only take a few moves to take care of them all. The bitter scent of Lance's once-warm cinnamon punched him in the gut. This had to be done sooner than later or-

"Let him go!" Shiro recognized the timbre of the voice. The king had practically materialized in the room. 

The Galra snickered. "Wow. It really is easy to track you all down. You're too sentimental, old man," the general called.

Lance's eyes turned wild. "No, go back-"

The king ignored his son's pleas and narrowed his eyes at the assailants. Three dropped to the ground, clutching their heads. Shiro watched in horror as they proceeded to scream, horrible screams that ripped vocal cords. The king did not flinch as they slammed their skulls into the cracking stone until they moved no longer. 

The general's mouth turned into a snarl. "Leave the prince. He won't regain his strength for a while now."

Once again, the king extended his power out to two more Galra. Those two screeched and cried while blinding themselves with their own clawed hands. 

"You have ten soldiers left, including yourself. You can't win this one. Leave. Now," the king ordered.

Shiro moved from one shadow to the next, getting closer to the four remaining soldiers, when the general called for an attack. This time the soldiers had stuck something in the middle of their foreheads. Expanding out was a helmet humming with energy. The king furrowed his brow and Shiro prepared himself for the painful cries but nothing happened. 

"Mind games are nothing to the Galra. Our quintessence can overpower everything. Including you," the general roared and charged the king. 

The king moved and dodged, slicing deftly with his lance. Shiro removed himself from the shadows and moved in from the back, picking off a soldier who was caught off guard by the sudden attack. His arm grew hot, burning with energy. Another soldier down. _Only six more to take on_, Shiro noted after seeing a particularly brutal attack by the king. The queen had joined battle, though her lithe nature did not hinder her strength at all. Whatever her power was, it seemed the quintessence also blocked it from affecting their soldiers. The battle would be won by hand. Soon, Shiro was fighting back to back with King Lucas. 

"Do you remember your promise?" The king called out to him.

_Always choose my son. _Shiro would have those words branded into his brain. He nodded once, then rolled to avoid a blade. 

The king nodded as well. "Tell him we love him."

_Get him out of here, _the sweet voice of the queen spoke directly in his mind. 

Shiro didn't get a chance to question what was going on, he followed orders. Sliding underneath the grasp of another attacker, he grabbed Lance off of the floor. Somewhere else, a torch had tipped over, engulfing the room's banners in flames. He pulled the prince's head close to his chest, hoping to avoid inhaling any smoke. The prince was mumbling something under his breath, but Shiro couldn't pick it up over the sounds of battle. By the end of the hall, he spared one look back. 

A sickening sound echoed the hall and Shiro was grateful that Lance's eyes were shielded from the scene. 

The king lay impaled on a Galra sword.

The queen was screaming. 

Shiro turned and ran.

The Black Lion seemed to understand his urgency and was waiting right outside the hall. Scrambling up into her head, he gingerly placed Lance in the back on his cot. He took the helm again, the cold numbness taking back over his body. Taking off to the others, he unmuted his communicator. 

"Where are you?!" Several voices shouted at him at once. 

"The king is dead," he replied coldly. 

Silence over the intercom. Allura was the one to break it. "Let's just finish off these last few warships as Voltron. We'll go back and search for any survivors after."

And Shiro did. They formed Voltron as he compartmentalized how he was going to deal with this. He couldn't let this get in the way of Voltron, but...Lance worried him. He nearly died back there to protect everyone. His father was gone. How was he supposed to break that to him? Would he look at Shiro with disgust? Would he demand to know why he left his family at the hands of the Galra? Would the Galra try to wipe out more of the Zuirilians? Would they search just for Lance? The questions swirled around his mind, but he knew that he wouldn't or couldn't deal with them now. 

Ordering his teammates, firing at an enemy, he knew how to do that. He did it well. As for what he did to neutralize the enemy ships, he couldn't recall to this day. One moment they were Voltron, the next he was alone in the Black Lion with the prince laying in his uncomfortable emergency cot. 

"We're going down to Zuirilia," Allura spoke again. "Do you want to go down with Lance?"

"Just..give me a minute," Shiro said, sighing. 

He walked to the back of his Lion, ready to rest with Lance. Unfortunately, the prince was much more resilient than he had planned. Lance was sitting upright in the cot, eyes wide and blank. 

"Lance?" Shiro spoke softly, not wanting to startle the man.

Lance looked up at him and walked over, a slight stagger in his step. 

"You should really be taking things easy, Lance, you nearly-"

The prince slid his hands around the paladin's neck, nestling his face right over the right side of Shiro's neck. "Please stop talking," he whispered. 

"What can I do?" Shiro asked him, his hands automatically moving to tighten his grip around the prince's waist.

Lance sighed, deflating into his chest. "Just hold me."

So Shiro did. He held Lance and tried to quiet his mind from all the panic. This wasn't what Lance needed right now. He needed a calm mate, he needed his family...

"Shiro? We finished the search. Meet us back on the castleship for a debriefing and then we'll dock at the sister planet to check on the Zuirilians," Keith's voice filtered over the intercom.

At the mention of Zuirilians, Lance perked up. "There are survivors?"

Shiro shifted uncomfortably. "Yes," he answered hesitantly. "Let's get back to the castleship first. Are you ready to formally meet the team?"


	15. Chapter 15

**LANCE**

Lance felt sick. Like all of the illnesses he ever had as a child had crept up on him and attacked him at once. He could feel the tremble in his muscles, the tears residing so close to his ducts. Waking up in the Lion was not in his plan. Neither was his father showing up like that. A twinge fluttered against his chest as he nuzzled closer to Shiro. He had refused to let the paladin pilot alone and was sitting sidesaddle over Shiro's lap. He kept reminding himself that there were survivors as he calmed himself with Shiro's scent. 

They landed on Kials, the closest sister plant to Zuirilia. It was nothing like home, it's desert qualities giving no comfort to the prince. Shiro, without saying a word, simply stood up and wrapped a hand around his waist.

"How do I look?" Lance sighed, hoping that his eyes weren't puffy, that maybe he conveyed some air of calm royalty.

Shiro frowned down at him. "You've witnessed something traumatic, Lance. You don't need to look perfect."

Lance attempted a weak smile back. "I'm royalty. That's what we do."

With another concerned glance, Shiro sighed and opened the door. Lance's eyes danced around the people who surrounded the lions. It seemed only a few citizens were hurt in the siege, the most injuries coming from the military class. He took one last big breath and stepped out with Shiro, trying to look cool, calm, and collected. He wondered if his parents had already called the war council. A familiar face was the first to approach them. Lance felt a breath release from his chest at the sight of Killian. 

"You made it here," Lance smiled up at his guard. 

"Didn't have much of a choice," the red-headed Zuirilian huffed. "Would've stayed to fight longer, but I was forced onto an evacuation ship."

Lance crossed his arms. "I'm glad they did, where would I be without you?"

A gentle cough from his side reminded him of Shiro's presence. The similar scent permeating the air was strong, dominant. If Lance felt any better, he probably would've laughed at his mate. Killian was a beta anyway, no real threat, but he still seemed jealous of their interaction. Before he could make a comment, he noticed another figure approaching.

A Kialsian governor approached him meekly. "P-Prince Lance? Son of King Lucas and Queen Mavis of Zuirilia?"

Killian smiled and backed away as Lance's training took over and he settled into a soothing smile. "Hello, Governor Me'lio. I'm sorry to say our visit could not have been on better terms, but I thank you for your hospitality."

"Oh, yes, well, it's an honor to see you, of course," the governor stuttered. "We've allocated some emergency housing and you are welcome to live in the governmental sanctioned housing or with your people. We figured you might need a moment to discuss matters?"

"Thank you for being so thoughtful amidst our hasty arrival. I will speak with them now," Lance responded. He turned to Shiro. "Do not worry about making any comments. I will speak to Zuirilia."

Shiro nodded, though he opted to stand beside the prince as he addressed the crowd of distressed citizens. He saw out of the corner of his eyes the other paladins lining up behind him.

"I want to first apologize to you all," Lance started. "When we began the trials, we could not have predicted such an event would occur. We underestimated the Galra's zeal for power. You deserved better than that." A pause. "I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank those who fought to get us safely evacuated. You all were instrumental in preserving our way of life." Applause to this, some of the military stood in salute. "I would like to thank the Paladins of Voltron for their contribution as well. You have given us some respite from the attacks which will give Zuirilia time to grow strong again and defend our planet." Applause, though less than before. Almost done. "The Kialsians have provided for us in this time of need. They will be directing-"

"What about the king and queen?"

Lance froze. He looked out in the audience, finding one Zuirilian with blonde hair staring at him. "I beg your pardon, what about the king and the queen?"

The Zuirilian huffed his breath. "Are you ascending to the throne here? We do not have the materials at hand anymore. What are you planning to do, your Highness?"

Lance must've misheard him. "Ascend to the throne? Why would I be doing-" He looked at Shiro. His mate refused to meet his eyes. His heart skipped a beat. In a hushed tone he asked, "Paladin Shirogane, why would I be ascending to the throne?"

Shiro looked up finally, his eyes slightly glistening. "I made a promise, Lance," he whispered.

"No," Lance breathed out. "Will you excuse me for a moment," he barely asked the crowd before he had turned on his heel and stalked back to the Black Lion. Shouts came up from the audience in his absence, which he heard other paladins and some of his parent's council attempt to answer. Heavy footsteps thundered after him. 

"Lance, please, listen to me-"

"Where are my parents." It wasn't a question, more of a demand. His voice was dangerously low. 

Shiro ran a hand through his white-blonde hair. "I didn't have a choice! I had to save you!"

"You always have a choice, _paladin_," the last word Lance spat out like venom. 

"I made a promise to your father-"

"How _dare _you!" Lance's voice raised with his growing hysteria. Shiro flinched back. "What gives you the right to decide who lives and dies? How long did you know? Were you going to make me stand up there, in front of my people, who now expect me to become _king_, and honestly not expect someone to ask me about them? When were you going to tell me?"

Shiro hung his head, refusing to meet his eye again. "I'm sorry, Lance."

"Keep your apologies. Send the council here. You can join the other members of Voltron," Lance said. 

Shiro looked as if he were going to protest, but shut his mouth. "Yes, your Highness," he answered, an additional chill in his words.

Lance breathed deeply before the council entered, desperately trying to appear as though he still had some control. As though he hadn't sent away his mate in a rage. As though his parents would walk through the doors next. 

"My prince, we are so sorry-" The first councilman began. 

Lance held up a hand. "No need for apologies. I would like to discuss options of how to proceed if you will."

"Of course, your Highness. We estimate a total of eight pheobs to reconstruct and successfully launch an attack.."

The elders trailed on about war readiness, the conditions of Zuirilia, the conditions of the military, reconstruction, which bases are vulnerable. Lance couldn't listen. Lance felt hollow. On ideas, he looked to see what the majority followed. What seemed like deca-pheobs had passed when a gentle knock on the lion's hatch startled the bunch. 

"Sorry to disturb your meeting, but the Lion is needed back at the castleship and Prince Lance's presence was also requested," a tall woman with shimmering grey hair spoke from the opening. Lance recognized her as Princess Allura of Altea.

"My apologies for being a bit behind things today," Lance answered automatically.

She waved her hand in dismissal. "These things can be difficult. I understand."

Lance would snap back that she does not and could not when he realized they shared quite a similar story. The princess had awoken to find that many of her people and her family died from a devastating attack. "Thank you," he breathed out instead. 

"Might we suggest a period of Mourning, your Highness?" A councilman asked.

Lance nodded. "Yes, of course. I assume we can find dye on this planet?" 


	16. Chapter 16

**SHIRO**

Shiro wasn't doing good. The second he entered the Lion, he could smell Lance's anger. Bitter and sharp, cutting through the air like a knife of betrayal. Shiro knew this problem would not be forgiven at the end of the night. He picked up vaguely on other scents, though they were pathetic compared to that of his mate's. He docked the Lion in the castleship and joined the other paladins in the dining area to wait for Lance. It had been the princess's idea to collect Lance, and as much as Shiro wanted to be the one, he knew that Lance would not welcome him with open arms. The other paladins did not talk to Shiro. Even Keith just gave him one sympathetic look before getting pulled into a conversation with Pidge. Two familiar voices entered and Shiro straightened his back and stood still at attention. 

"Welcome to the castleship, Prince Lance, and it seems like the other paladins were waiting for us," Allura narrowed her eyes at the last statement. Hunk and Pidge at least looked a little embarrassed.

"It's okay," Lance reassured her. Shiro could practically taste the lie in his words. "I apologize for not getting to know you all well enough before the marriage ceremony. I know you are important to the Black Paladin."

Shiro's throat tightened at the formal title but chose not to interject. 

"Oh, it's fine," Hunk waved a hand. "We're happy to have you with us now! Though, I'm not sure where you'll stay. I've only ever seen the paladin cabins. Hey, where does Coran even sleep?"

"He'll be in my cabin," Shiro finally spoke up. 

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Let's talk about that privately," Lance replied, voice sickly sweet. He never talked to Shiro like that before. 

Wide eyes looking at Lance. 

"What's to talk about?" Shiro frowned.

"Nothing I'd like to discuss in front of the others," Lance persisted, smile tight.

Allura, Hunk, Pidge, Coran, and Keith's eyes all bounced from mate to mate like it was a tennis match.

Shiro relented, rubbing his eyes. "Fine. If you need me, I'm going to be on the training deck. I'm sure someone will help you find it." With that, he turned on his heel and left the room. He caught Allura's jaw drop before the doors slid shut. 

He sighed, taking deep breaths the farther he got from the room for two reasons. One, he never let his temper get away from him but with Lance, it was proving difficult. Two, Lance was still in heat. That was why it was so overpowering in the Lion. And his heat seemed to have exaggerated his scent, still bitter with anger. Shiro was not a retching man, not even when he was drunk, but damn it all he got close to losing his last Zuirilian dinner in that room. He stormed into the training deck, his head still spinning. 

"Initiate training sequence HHC-0-12," he called out. A robotic dummy rose from the ground and Shiro began his attack. Normally training always helped clear his head. There, he knew what he was doing. He was confident. Training was, aside from battle, the one time he didn't feel like he had to hide what he was from the other paladins. Shiro hit the dummy a little harder than intended with his robotic arm. He was an experiment. An entertainment source for Galra. His hand began to heat up and without a second thought, he sliced through the dummy. 

"Round one of training sequence HHC-0-12 completed," the overhead voice confirmed for him.

"Allura's gonna be mad at you."

Shiro whirled around to see Keith, leaning against a cabinet. He felt his heart rate slow.

"Well, that's one more to add to the list. You trying to join?" Shiro huffed out a hollow laugh. 

Keith shrugged and plopped down on a nearby couch. "I'm not mad at you. Are you mad at me?"

"No," Shiro answered honestly and sat down next to him. "Disengage training sequence HHC-0-12," he called to the training deck.

"Hand to hand combat? If you wanted to spar, you should've asked me," Keith said.

Shiro felt another breathless laugh escape him. "Wouldn't that cause a scene? Leaving an argument with my mate with someone else?"

"It's not like that," Keith scoffed. 

"It might've looked like that, though," Shiro sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

Keith frowned. "So, what? I'm not allowed to hang out with my best friend anymore? I didn't know that Prince Lance was the jealous type."

"He's not," Shiro defended his mate. _I actually don't know if he is. _"I'm just trying to avoid any reasons for him to be angry with me. Looks like I'll already be given the cold shoulder for a bit."

Another shrug from Keith. "In his defense, his parents did just die, Shiro. In a siege caused because he chose to get married to you and not Lotor. That's...kinda heavy."

"So, is it my fault?" Shiro asked, his brows bunching together in a furrow. 

An exasperated sigh from Keith. "No, idiot." Shiro shot him a look. "Sorry. But, no, it's not. If anyone is to blame for what happened on Zuirilia, it's Lotor. He launched the attack. It was his men that took the castle. Don't blame yourself."

"Never thought you'd be the one giving me the pep talk," Shiro said. "I thought you didn't like Lance."

"It's not that I don't like him," Keith explained. "It's that I'm scared. Adding another member to our team, to your family, it could be dangerous. He's another person that can be used to get to you. Another person to lose in the war. Right now, he's Voltron's weak link."

Shiro nodded. "Then can I count on you to help train him?"

"Train your own damn mate!" Keith huffed, rolling his eyes. "If he gets any good, then I'll consider it. But my standards are high!"

Shiro laughed, this time a full sound. "Okay, deal. I should probably talk to him before I can train him, though."

Keith snorted. It was a rare sound, but one that showed how comfortable he was with Shiro. "Yeah, yeah. Go get him."

"Thanks, Keith," Shiro smiled back at the red paladin as he left the training deck. He took about three steps before wondering where Lance would go. Would he stay in the dining area? Go to the helm with Allura? To the Lions' bay? Overwhelmed with choice, he decided to start with his room. He could at least get changed into some clean clothes. 

Shiro was already working on getting some of his armor off when he placed a hand on the plate next to his door. They whooshed open as he slid the chest armor over his head, walking in blindly. 

"Ack!" was the first thing he heard, followed quickly with tripping over someone shorter than himself. Whipping the armor off, he stared at his pinned room intruder. 

"Lance," he sighed with a smile. For a moment, you could've convinced him that Lance was an angel.

The smaller man squirmed around under him. "Squishing...me! Off!"

Shiro quickly launched himself away from Lance. "Sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to. You just surprised me. This is my room, after all."

"I knew that!" Lance snapped, getting up from the floor and brushing imaginary dust off his clothes. Shiro knew it was imaginary because he cleaned every other day. 

"So, is it okay to assume you'll be spending the night in here?" Shiro asked tentatively. 

"I might," Lance replied without looking at his mate.

"You're still in your heat," Shiro said lamely. 

"Yes, and?" Lance asked back, his eyes fiery. A look perfected by royals to dare a subordinate to question their judgment.

Shiro finally got up from his position on the floor. "I don't know, don't you, uh, need me? Coran filled me in on some stuff-"

Lance crossed his arms and averted his gaze from Shiro's again. "I don't need you every night. I'll survive."

Shiro had to hide his smile. _Such a bad liar, _he thought. "Lance," he spoke very softly and moved slowly over to his mate. He took a soft hand in his own. "Please stay with me tonight."

The scent of cinnamon piqued with interest. _Got him. _Shiro slipped his other arm around his small waist and leaned down. 

"You know this doesn't fix everything, right?" Lance breathed against his lips.

"I know," Shiro confirmed before diving down into his mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello from your least reliable author!!! just a nice bro chapter with some spice bc who doesn't love some spice?


	17. Chapter 17

**SHIRO**

Waking up was a jarring experience. As Shiro flitted open his eyes, accommodating for the ship's light cycle, he felt a smaller form tucked up next to him. It took him a moment to remember what was happening. What had been happening. Lance slept on his side, one hand over his stomach and the other cradled under his head. Long brown hair glimmered in the low light, sliding across the pillow. Shiro slipped his fingers through it idly, remember how it felt last night to have it wrapped in his fist-

_No!_ Shiro pulled back from the memory. He wasn't going to have lustful thoughts towards his unconscious partner already. The day hadn't even officially begun yet! He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to dispel the images and thoughts his brain was conjuring up by the second.

"Morning," a light voice murmured from below him. Shiro's eyes snapped open to see Lance's staring up at him. "Did you sleep well enough?"

Shiro smiled down at his mate. "I rested enough. What about you?"

Lance traced a finger absentmindedly around the finger-shaped bruises on his hips and love bites on his chest. Shiro winced. "I slept well," was all Lance said. 

"I'm sorry if last night was...if I was, well, if it was too much on you. I wanted to take my time but I got lost in the moment, and god, that's a horrible excuse-"

The smaller man shifted up on his elbows, silencing Shiro's rambling with a kiss. "It's okay," he whispered as he pulled away. "I think we both needed an outlet last night, and we expressed ourselves thoroughly," he added with a small laugh. 

Shiro sighed. "That's...reassuring, in a way. Let me know, though, if it's ever too much. If I'm ever too much. You have a right in this relationship to set boundaries and tell me not to do something."

"Does that count for other things or just for sex?" Lance quipped back. 

"Anything!" Shiro assured quickly. Despite all the things he and Lance have done, it still sounded so vulgar to hear Lance say that. "This is an equal partnership," he kept going, "I want to show you respect in every aspect of it."

Lance contemplated that for a moment. "We need to discuss my parents today."

"Of course, do what you need to do. Is there anything I can do to support you? Do you want me to come to those meetings today?" Shiro responded.

"Well, yes, but that was not what I meant. _We _need to discuss my parents. You and I, we need to talk about what happened." Lance answered.

Shiro nodded. "Right."

"Can you handle that?" Lance asked, his tone sharpening.

"Yes! Yes, I'm sorry. I want to do everything I can to work things out. I don't want our relationship being one where we only meet for heats." Shiro's face burned at the word. "As I said, I want this to be an equal partnership. This is a big thing and I don't want you thinking that you can't come to me for support."

Lance nodded and let his elbows out from under him, effectively plopping back down in bed. He let out a sigh. Shiro figured he wasn't trying to be adorable, but he just couldn't help himself. He lowered himself too, pulling Lance close to him once more; this time with their faces to each other. His mate reached his arms over Shiro's shoulders in a desperate hug. Shiro felt Lance's forehead rest against his and he was trapped in those blue eyes again. 

"I don't want to do today," Lance admitted, his voice sounding significantly weaker than it was a moment ago. 

"I know," Shiro replied, one of his hands playing with the other's hair again. "But life comes whether we want it to or not."

Lance let out a little grunt and with a swivel of his wrist, a golden mist settled over them. It was like the forts Shiro used to build out of blankets, except this was a clear, golden blanket. Lance must have picked up on his look of wonder. "I'm just buying us a few more moments," he explained. 

"You should tell me how you do that, I would love some more time in the morning," Shiro joked. 

"You will be able to, at some point. It takes a while for gifts to distribute to mates. Well, I'm actually not sure how it would work, you are a human after all." Lance earnestly replied.

Shiro gazed in awe at Lance. "I wish I had something amazing to give you," he said after a moment. What did he even give in a relationship with this man? An alliance with Voltron? What good had that gotten him so far?

One of his partner's slender hands traced over his features, feather-light and tender. "You give me respect. You are strong. You are a good leader. You are willing to listen to me. You don't treat me like...property." Lance struggled with that last word. 

Shiro held his wrist, bringing the honey-tan palm to his lips for a chaste kiss. "You should be treated with respect always. No one should treat you like property. That's just basic courtesy."

"It's not common for omegas to get that kind of treatment. That's why you rarely see them in royalty. It is normally just betas and alphas. Omegas are considered...lower than them. I am sure some of the advisors think so, too." Lance said, cheeks turning red under the attention.

That beast in Shiro's stomach growled in dissent. He bit his lip to avoid making any stupid, angry comments. "I-I know I don't know much about that kind of thing, but if you ask me, you are every bit royalty to me. You are just as strong, fearless, and intelligent as any of the Zuirilian alphas or betas."

Lance's face went blank for a moment and Shiro feared maybe he overstepped his boundaries. Then, a wide grin spread across his partner's face before Lance buried his face in Shiro's neck. "See? Too good for me."

Shiro filed Lance's negative self-talk as a topic for their discussion later. For now, he wrapped his arms around his younger mate. "You want to do today yet?"

A disgruntled sound from Shiro's chest. 

He chuckled then placed a kiss on the crown of the prince's head. "Come on, we'll do it together. I'll be by your side all day if you want it. 

A sigh. Then, "Okay."

* * *

The pair were inseparable the entire day. The castleship (or more likely Allura) had supplied them with clothes dyed black for mourning. After seeing Lance is bright blues and greens the previous week, the black seemed even starker to Shiro. All the Zuirilians had similarly dyed clothes, the loss of the two royals damp in the air. Luckily, no citizens chose to run up to Lance today, instead, they seemed to be keeping their distance. It appeared that the advisors had not planned on accommodating Shiro today, but he reassured them with a smile that he would not be leaving Lance's side. He tried not to look too icy but he didn't try hard enough because a few of the robed officials shot him glances throughout the meetings with an anxious expression. Meetings went over when it would be safe to return to the home planet, how the rebuilding would commence, how to make funeral arrangements for those who sacrificed themselves during the invasion, job placements while they waited to return, when would they engage in war, and when the coronation of the pair would take place.

Lance and Shiro both stiffened when the group came to the last topic. Shiro was an intergalactic pilot of the resistance, which could need him at the literal drop of a hat. How could he possibly lead one planet full of people and Voltron? The two of them hadn't had the chance to have the Talk and he sure as hell wouldn't have it in front of a bunch of councilmen. 

"We should have it back on Zuirilia!" One councilman, Wren, objected. Shiro was a fan of that idea because who knew when the planet would be habitable again. 

Councilman Leks had the same thought. "That could take hundreds of cycles, Wren! We cannot have the two princes mated for such a long time. This council is only supposed to exist when the King calls it, anyway. A _king _is supposed to make all these decisions. Not to say you are not qualified, your Highness," he added quickly, "but it's just not our way."

Shiro was thanking his lucky stars that no councilman brought up his main concern. At least he was until Nix opened her mouth, then he was cursing them. "How stable will the marriage be until Voltron is no longer needed? Royalty being separated for long periods is also unprecedented. Even if he could visit, Prince Shiro's availability could impact how Zuirilia is run. I say no coronation until Zarkon is defeated."

He noticed Lance rubbing his brow bone at the head of the table. How was he supposed to comfort him? That was his worst fear, voiced and served on a platter to his mate. He was going to be worthless to this relationship until Zarkon was defeated or he was...Shiro swallowed hard. He'd seen the work of the Galra firsthand. They would not let him get away another time. 

Another person began to speak, probably to tear into Shiro's character again when Lance held up a hand. "Enough."

The table chatter immediately died. Shiro trained his eyes on his mate, feeling a frown attempting to crease his brow. 

"I have heard enough today. Filter the jobless through Kials' needs. The governor should be able to guide them. Proper funeral services should only be conducted on Zuirilia, but make sure there is sufficient support for the citizens' grief and loss. We will only engage in war when we have more intel. Until we are sure that we can keep the Galra from coming back, we will stay on Kials. If the citizens have family on other sister planets, we can look at connecting them. As for the coronation, that will be decided among Paladin Shirogane and me. You are dismissed."

"Your Highness?" Wren said hesitantly. 

Shiro watched his partner fix his gaze on the councilman. "I said you are dismissed," Lance ground out. 

Seeing his intense look, he remembered those eyes can be pretty blue waters, but they can just as easily be scalding blue flames. He found himself praying to Zuirilia he never would see himself get burned, though he had a feeling he was already catching fire.


End file.
